Epaper – November 15 KHI 2020

CMYK

15 November, 2020 I 28 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1442 I Rs 25.00 I Vol XI No 136 I 36 Pages I Karachi Edition

Pakistan shares ‘irrefutable evidence’ of indian state-sPonsored terrorism g

PM IMran urges world to ‘force IndIa to end Its terrorIsM’ ISLAMABAD

P

STAFF REPORT

rIMe Minister Imran Khan on saturday called upon the international community to "force India to end its terrorism" following "irrefutable evidence" provided earlier in the day by the Pakistan army and the foreign office of India's state-sponsored terrorism inside Pakistan. "we have provided irrefutable evidence of India's state sponsored terrorism inside Pakistan. details of financial and material support and Indian state's direct involvement in terrorism have been given to the world which, in the face of this evidence, cannot remain indifferent or silent," PM Imran said in a statement on twitter.

He said in view of the evidence provided, Pakistan "expects the international community to force India to end its terrorism and bring to justice those responsible for killing thousands of innocent people in Pakistan".

He said that no one in the world should doubt that Pakistan knows how to defend the country and "will continue to do so with our combined national resolve".

INDIA'S INVOLVEMENT IN TERRORISM: earlier in the day, Islamabad presented before the world a dossier of evidence against Indian state-sponsored terrorism inside Pakistan. "today we have irrefutable facts that we will present before the nation and international community through this dossier," foreign Minister shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was flanked by chief military spokesperson Maj gen Babar Iftikhar, told a press conference.

Presenting the dossier detailing Indian involvement in terrorist activities inside Pakistan including recent attacks in Peshawar and Quetta, Qureshi said Indian intelligence agencies were found involved in financing, promoting, and harbouring terrorism inside the country through a number of militant networks "including Balochistan liberation army, Jamaatul ahraar and the tehreek-e-taliban Pakistan".

"India is attempting to establish a consortium of Baloch liberation front, Baloch republican army, ttP and Bla [...] to unify the dissident elements," he said.

He further said new delhi through its subversive activities aims to reverse Islamabad's success against terrorism by "nurturing nation-

alism and sub-nationalism in the country, especially in gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and erstwhile fata". “the evidence provides concrete proof of Indian financial and material sponsorship of multiple terrorist organisations, including undesignated terrorist organisations,” Qureshi said. “we expect the international community to play its role for peace and stability in the region by: compelling India to immediately halt its state sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan; bring to justice all those involved in financing and supporting terrorism inside Pakistan according to relevant domestic and international laws,” he added. the foreign minister noted that Pakistan had shared its concerns with major international partners before but this was the first time it was publicly presenting “irrefutable evidence to the world” to demonstrate India’s sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan. “the international community can no longer turn a blind eye to this rogue behavior by a state that refuses to adhere to international laws and un conventions,” he said, stressing that India is a “state sponsor of terrorism that is consistently exhibiting rogue behavior.”

He said that if the world continued to ignore the Indian agenda to destabilize and undermine Pakistan, it sent a message of apathy for a peaceful and stable nuclear south asia.

“our valiant law enforcement and security agencies have resiliently fought and won the war against terrorism. we know how to defend ourselves,” said Qureshi.

“India’s efforts to foment terrorism inside Pakistan will not be allowed to undermine Pakistan’s stability in any way. whether they acknowledge or not, all major powers know India is a threat to the entire region. now, they must act to prevent it from continuing its sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan,” he added. the press conference comes a day after six people including a Pakistan army soldier were martyred in azad Jammu and Kashmir (aJK) along the restive line of control (loc) in cross-border firing. at least 30 other civilians and five soldiers also sustained injuries in what appeared to be the biggest escalation in hostilities on the de facto border in months.

Qureshi condemned the ceasefire violation by Indian troops, saying the purpose of the presser was to show "the real face of India" to the world. "You can see a pattern of constant ceasefire violations," he said, adding the dossier contains many details and some of them will be used at the "time of need".

He said while Pakistan was combatting terrorism on its soil, India was using its soil to surround Pakistan "in a web of terrorism".

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

PM vows ‘stringent, holistic’ anti-rape ordinance next week ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

a day after the prime suspect in the Kashmore gangrape case was arrested, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on saturday announced that the federal government is bringing a “stringent and holistic antirape ordinance” next week. taking to twitter, PM Imran lauded the bravery of the assistant sub-inspector (asI) and his daughter for their role in the arrest and said that the ordinance will close all “loopholes”. to arrest the suspect, Kashmore police had set up a trap by using a decoy, the daughter of asI Mohammad Bux Buriro, who was posted at the same police station. the victim along with the asI’s daughter contacted the main suspect over the telephone and invited him to a hotel where police arrested him. they recovered the woman’s minor child from private premises on the information provided by the suspect. according to his office, Prime Minister Imran telephoned asI Buriro and “commended his bravery” he had shown.

in today’s issue

“the nation is proud of them and he [asI Buriro] has given positive uplift to the image of [the] police,” the premier said.

He also said the government will next week bring a “stringent, holistic” anti-rape ordinance which will close “all loopholes” with regard to incidents of sexual molestation.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

354,461

LAST UPDATED AT 8:29 AM ON NOVEMBER 14, 2020

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

17

2,165

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

322,414

7,109

SINDH:

PUNJAB:

153,873

109,309

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

41,723

16,328

AJK/GB: ISLAMABAD: 5,261/4,434 23,533

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02

Sunday, 15 November, 2020

NEWS

Coronavirus Kills another 17, infeCts 2,165 more ISLAMABAD

a

STAFF REPORT

TOTAL of 2,165 new cases of Covid-19 and 17 more deaths were recorded across the country during the last 24 hours, said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday.

The tally of deaths reached 7,109 in Pakistan, whereas the number of active cases of Covid-19 reached 24,938. So far, 322,414 patients have recovered across Pakistan, making it a significant count.

Out of 1,858 ventilators allocated for Covid-19 patients, 204 are occupied across the country. There are no patients on ventilators in Balochistan.

Out of 354,461 cases detected so far, AJK has reported 5,261 cases, Balochistan 16,328, GB 4,434, ICT 23,533, KP 41,723, Punjab 109,309, and Sindh has reported 153,873 cases. A total of 1,521 patients are admitted in hospitals across the country.

Meanwhile, senior journalist Arshad

Waheed Chaudhry passed away on Saturday due to complications caused by the coronavirus. Chaudhry was recently diagnosed with Covid-19 and since then was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Islamabad. As his condition worsened, he was placed on a ventilator. Chaudhry was the host of Geo News programme "Geo Parliament" where he would discuss developments pertaining to the parliament.

He was also a special correspondent for Geo News and a columnist for Daily Jang.

The senior journalist was the vice president of the National Press Club in Islamabad.

Reacting to the news of his sad demise, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz said she was extremely sorry to know Chaudhry has passed away. "I find it hard to believe," she wrote.

In Punjab, the novel coronavirus claimed seven more lives and infected 487 people during the past 24 hours. According to a spokesperson of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, seven more people died of Covid-19, taking the

Child survivor of Kashmore gang-rape shifted to Karachi hospital KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The four-year-old survivor of the Kashmore gang-rape was shifted to Karachi's National Institute of Child Health (NICH) on Saturday, with doctors saying her condition is currently stable. The survivor was kidnapped, tortured and gang-raped along with her mother. During the ordeal, she suffered severe injuries.

Police managed to rescue the mother and daughter after a local police officer used his daughter as bait to arrest one of the prime accused in the case. NICH Executive Director Jamal Raza said the girl is currently in an intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital but is not on the ventilator. He added that an initial surgery was performed in Larkana and due to respiratory distress, a chest tube was passed. "She had initially been seen by the surgical team and will be taken to the operation theatre for further exploration. Subsequent plans will be decided accordingly," said Raza. Kashmore police on Thursday arrested the suspect accused of kidnapping and gang-raping the woman and her four-year-old daughter. A case was registered against the accused, Malak, at the Kashmore police station under Sections 376, 344, 420 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, pertaining to rape, unlawful confinement, cheating and dishonesty and common intention. Later, on the directives of Kashmore SSP Amjad Ali Shaikh, Section 365 of PPC, pertaining to kidnapping, and Section 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act were inserted in the FIR. A resident of Karachi told the Kashmore police that approximately two weeks ago, she and her daughter were kidnapped and sold to a man by Malak. According to her, Malak lured her to Kashmore under the pretence of offering her a job for Rs30,000 per month. When she reached Kashmore, she said that she and her daughter were both sold and raped. "The culprits let me go but kept my daughter in their captivity," she narrated. The FIR stated that the survivor was offered a job on October 25 and later travelled to Kashmore, where Malak and two of his accomplices detained her and her daughter, subjecting them to gang-rape at Malak’s residence. Malak later released the woman, telling her he would only let her daughter go if she brought him another woman from Karachi. He was later arrested in a sting operation by the local police. The suspect, however, was shot dead in a police raid in KashmoreKandhkot on Friday evening, while in police custody.

The police said they raided a place near RD-109 area to arrest another suspect, Bugti, but he opened indiscriminate fire at police. The law enforcers, who claimed that they took Malak with them to identify Bugti, arrested the latter and seized the weapon with which he shot Malak.

death toll to 2,462 in the province.

He maintained that the province reported 487 new cases of Covid-19, taking the overall tally of people infected with the pandemic to 109,309. Out of the 487 new coronavirus cases, 208 emerged only in Lahore, said the spokesperson.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said on Saturday that clinical trials for the Chinese vaccine are underway in Pakistan. Talking to the media, the provincial health minister said that China will supply Covid-19 vaccine to Pakistan as a priority after successful trials. She said that the government will receive the vaccine from China for Pakistan.

On the Covid-19 situation in Punjab, the minister said that 2,400 ventilators were available in the province.

Pakistan has approved the final phase of clinical trials for the single-dose Chinese vaccine Ad5-nCoV in September. The vaccine co-developed by CanSino Biologics, a Tianjin-based vaccine company, and China’s Academy of Military Medical

Pm reiterates resolve to bring inflation down

Sciences. For the Ad5-nCoV Phase 3 trial, slated to conclude in January 2022, nearly 40,000 volunteers are expected to participate from Pakistan, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Moreover, Sindh government Spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said on Saturday that the Covid-19 positivity rate has risen above 7pc in the province, urging people to cooperate with the authorities in following coronavirus precautionary measures. “Cases are rapidly rising in winter and the Covid-19 positivity rate has jumped to 7.5pc," Wahab said in his statement.

Murtaza Wahab recalled that the Covid19 positivity rate was 2.5pc in the first wave of the pandemic and remained intact as masses were following SOPs. Ruling out the impression of elimination of the virus from Pakistan, he urged people to strictly ensure adherence to the SOPs to contain deadly virus spread.

He called for ensuring a balance between business and precautionary measures to fight the virus.

Senior journalist Shah Nawaz Mohal passes away NEWS DESK Senior journalist and former Pakistan Today employee Shah Nawaz Mohal passed away on Saturday.

Born on Aug 3, 1990, Mohal excelled in feature writing and regularly wrote columns and features for leading publications of the country. He also ventured into reporting where he brought to life key issues that needed immediate attention.

He completed his law degree and later Masters in English Literature from Punjab University. Keen on improving his skills and expanding his horizon, he also went to Germany where his studied 'world literature' at the University of Potsdam.

He leaves behind his parents, a younger brother and three sisters.

Earthquake rattles Quetta, no damage reported QUETTA STAFF REPORT

A 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit Quetta and surrounding districts early Saturday but no damage was immediately reported, the National Seismic Monitoring Center said.

The earthquake was centered 38 kilometers (23 miles)

northeast of Quetta at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

It was also felt in Pishin, Harnai and other areas of Balochistan, but mostly in Quetta, where people came out onto the streets in fear.

The disaster management authority said they were looking to see if the quake caused any damage in the affected districts.

PM approves increase in Ehsas beneficiaries to 7 million ISLAMABAD TLTP

Prime Minister Imran Khan has granted approval to increase the number of beneficiaries of the Ehsas Kifalat programme from 4.6 million to 7 million.

The prime minister’s approval came in a meeting regarding preparation of the Ehsas Kifalat programme on Saturday.

Addressing the meeting, the PM said that the entire focus of the government is on economic recovery. In view of the pandemic, he added, both protection of the citizens and stabilisation and growth

of the economic activities are the key objectives.

He said that the poor people are the ones mostly affected by the situation created by coronavirus and there is a need for expanding the scope of the Ehsaas programme as much as possible.

He directed for finalising the Ehsas Kifalat programme as soon as possible.

Special Assistant to the PM on Poverty Alleviation, Dr Nishtar apprised the meeting that the corona pandemic has increased the hardships of the weaker sections of the society all over the world and countries around the world have provided economic packages for

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed to bring inflation under control further as prices of food items are declining in Pakistan as compared to other parts of the subcontinent. In a tweet on Saturday, the Prime Minister said the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) shows a decline for the second consecutive week in the country. The Prime Minister quoted a media report stating that India’s retail inflation may stay elevated for at least three more months after hitting a six-year high last month. It said the high prices are a particular cause of concern for India’s hundreds of millions of poor people, who have already been squeezed by the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on an economy that contracted a record 23.9 percent in April-June this year. Onion prices have more than quadrupled in India, while soya oil prices have rallied 23 percent in the last three months. TLTP

raW can target prominent politicians, warns rashid LAHORE: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said on Saturday that India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) can attempt to target prominent politicians in the country. The statement by the federal minister came soon after the country's foreign minister and military spokesperson presented irrefutable evidence of New Delhi's involvement in terror activities in Pakistan.

Rasheed said that India wants to weaken the country internally and does not want the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to succeed and since it cannot harm the country's forces on the border, New Delhi will resort to staging terrorist activities in the country.

Referring to recent statements by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Rashid said the statements have left Nawaz and Shehbaz 'politically paralysed'. On Maryam, he said she was using the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) platform to speak as a 'last resort'.

Rashid had claimed a day earlier that the PMLN was in 'reverse gear' as they were attempting to conduct dialogue with the 'establishment' and had changed their earlier stance. Speaking about the recent return of Jahangir Khan Tareen to Pakistan after spending seven months in the United Kingdom, Rashid said Nawaz should also return as 'his politics has come to an end'. He reiterated that not everyone in PDM is in agreement with Nawaz's narrative and the Pakistan People Party (PPP) will not stay with PML-N. Praising Prime Minister Imran Khan, the minister said that despite Covid-19 pandemic, the premier is bringing economic stability and the incumbent government has the complete support of the Pakistan Army. "Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will form a government in Gilgit-Baltistan," said the railway minister and added that the people of the northern region will cast their votes on Sunday. "Whatever decision is taken by the people will form the backbone of CPEC." TLTP

the public good in the face of the pandemic.

She said that Pakistan is one of those countries which successfully fought against the pandemic and added that the government allocated additional assistance for the public welfare and the initiatives are being appreciated by international organisations and the United Nations.

The meeting was also attended by PM’s Finance Adviser Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and other senior officers.

The Ehsaas Kafaalat is a government programme through which it gives monthly cash stipends of Rs2,000 to the most deserving and poorest women across the country. The programme is parallel to the Ehsaas policy initiative through which women also get better access to smartphones.

Earlier on October 14, Dr Sania Nishtar had said that the scope of the

Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program would be expanded for poverty eradication. She had said that while addressing as a panelist during the World Bank GroupIMF Annual Meeting titled Protecting South Asia's Poor and Vulnerable Against COVID-19 and Beyond.

Sunday, 15 November, 2020

NEWS

MajoR paRties take unpReCeDenteD inteRest in GB eleCtion ISLAMABAD

t

GHULAM ABBAS

He country’s major political parties are taking an unprecedented interest in the election of Gilgit-Baltistan after the announcement of granting GB provincial status, with over 300 candidates to take part in the polls for the 24seat Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly.

At least 320 contenders have filed nomination papers and the residents of GB will cast votes in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and on November 15.

Tough competition is expected in GB wherein Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan People’s Party are expected to have close races in many constituencies.

According to political pundits, the ruling party is likely to grab more seats. However, it is noteworthy that, unlike the election in 2015 when the party could hardly win a seat, PPP is apparently in a position to grab some seats as the party leadership has participated extensively in the election campaign.

Interestingly, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz – which completed its term in June 2020 – is not expected to win more than one or two seats despite the fact that the party enjoyed a two-third majority during its fiveyear term. Almost all the electables of the party have joined either PTI or are contesting the election as independent candidates.

The two religiopolitical parties including Majlis-s-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) and Pakistan Islami Tehreek (PIT) are likely to grab two to three seats in the election.

GILGIT DIVISION GBLA-1 Gilgit-1: In this crucial constituency of Gilgit city, a total of 25 candidates are contesting elections but a tough contest is expected between a few heavyweights. In this constituency, former speaker and PML-N leader Jaffarullah, PPP candidate Amjad Hussain Advocate,

Maulana Sultan Raees (Independent), PTI’s Johar Ali, Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party candidate Himayat Ullah, Syed Mustafa Shah of Islami Tehreek are in the running.

A neck-and-neck contest is expected between PPP’s Amjad Advocate and Maulana Sultan Raees (Independent), who has reportedly been succeeding in getting support of some sectarian groups and religious organizations.

GBLA-2 Gilgit-II: Of a total of 25 candidates, the real contest is expected between the former chief minister and PMLN candidate, Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman and PPP candidate Jamil Ahmed.

Interestingly the PTI candidate Fateh Ullah Khan, who is also General Secretary of the party in GB, is apparently in hot water in the constituency.

Though the former chief minister GB has carried out extensive development work in this constituency, his position is reportedly weak after giving contracts of uplift works to his own blue-eyed contractors during his tenure.

GBLA-3 Gilgit-III: Here, elections have been delayed after the death of PTI President Syed Jaffer Shah, who was also the candidate in this constituency.

PTI has given this ticket to Jafar Shah’s son after the severe criticism it faced deciding to grant ticket to former minister Dr Iqabl, who deserted the PML-N and joined the PTI. Despite joining PTI formally, Dr Iqbal would be contesting the election as an independent candidate.

GBLA-4 Nagar-1: A total of 18 candidates were initially in the run in this constituency but the real contest is anticipated between PPP candidate Amjad Hussain Advocate and Muhammad Ayub Waziri of Islami Tehreek Pakistan.

GBLA-5 Nagar-II: At least 26 candidates had filed nomination papers in the constituency. However, the real fight is

expected between Rizwan Ali of MWM, Javed Ali Manva (Independent), and Mirza Hussain of PPP. GBLA -6 Hunza: PTI candidates Col (r) Abaid Ullah Baig and Noor Muhammad (Independent) are the likely winners from this. The PTI split in this constituency after the party awarded ticket Baig. Noor Muhammad therein decided to contest the elections as independent candidates.

GBLA-19 Ghizer-I: The real contest in this constituency is expected between PPP’s Syed Jalal Ali Shah, Nawaz Khan Naji (Independent), PTI’s Zafar Muhammad Shadumkhel and Shakil Ahmed (Independent). Political observers say that the PPP candidate, who is also the son of late Pir Karam Ali Shah, is expected to the sympathy votes and win.

GBLA-20 Ghizer-II: Of 12 candidates, the main contest is expected between PPP’s Ali Madad Sher, PML-Q’s Khan Akbar Khan, Fida Khan (Independent) and PMLN’s Muhammad Nazar Khan.

GBLA-21 Ghizer-III: In this constituency, the main contest is expected between PML-N’s Ghulam Muhammad, PPP’s Muhammad Ayub, PTI’s Raja Jahanzeb, Rehmat Rahim (Independent), Hafeez-ur-Rehman (Independent) and Abdul Saboor Khan (Independent).

BALTISTAN DIVISION GBLA-7 Skardu-I: Though the position of PTI’s candidate in this constituency was weak a couple of weeks ago, the candidate has recently gained traction against the PPP candidate, the former chief minister Syed Mehdi Shah. PTI candidate Raja Muhammad Zakria has succeeded in getting some independent candidates to support him, which may help him get the seat.

GBLA-8 Skardu-II: In this constituency, the most popular candidate is reportedly from MWM, an ally of PTI. He

has competition with Syed M Ali Shah of PPP and Imtiaz Haider Khan (Independent).

Despite Bilawal Bhutto’s extensive campaign, the PPP candidate is unlikely to win the election in this constituency.

GBLA-9 Skardu-III: PTI candidate and former GBLA speaker Fida Muhammad Nashad and Wazir Muhammad Salem (Independent) are the leading candidates.

Nashad, who has been the winner in the constituency many times, is still considered the stronger candidate.

GBLA-10 Skardu-IV: In this constituency, the main competition is expected between Raja Nasir Ali (Independent) and Wazir Hassan of PTI. The other potential candidates in the constituency are Muhammad Sikandar Ali of Islami Tehreek Pakistan, Ghulam Abbas of PML-N and Najaf Ali, Independent.

GBLA-11 Kharmang: The contest is expected to be between PTI’s Syed Amjad Ali, Syed Mohsin Rizvi (Independent), PML-N’s Shabbir Hussain, and Iqbal Hussain. In this constituency, the PTI candidate is said to have a strong vote bank.

GBLA-12 Shigar: In this constituency, a total of four candidates are in the field and the main contest is expected between PPP’s Imran Nadeem and Muhammad Azam Khan of the PTI. Imran Nadeen, according to political observers, is expected to get majority votes.

GBLA-22 Ghanche-I: The main contest here is expected between PTI’s Muhammad Ibrahim Sanai, Mushtaq Hussain (Independent) and PPP’s Muhammad Jaffer. In this constituency, the PTI candidate is tipped to win the polls.

GBLA-23 Ghanche-II: In this constituency, the main contest is expected between Amina Ansari of PTI, Ghulam Hussain of PML-N, Abdul Hameed (Independent) and Ghulam Ali Haideri of PPP. Amina has reportedly a better position

03

after getting support from some religious scholars in the area.

GBLA-24 Ghanche-III: A total of five candidates are contesting elections in this constituency and the main contest is expected between PPP’s Muhammad Ismail, PML-Q’s Muhammad Ibrahim Taban and PTI’s Syed Shamsuddin. Being the most influential person in the constituency, Muhammad Ismail may win the election this time around.

DIAMER DIVISION GBLA-13 Astore-I: Of a total of 12 candidates, the main contest is between Dr Ghulam Abbas (Independent), PTI’s Khalid Khurshid, PPP’s Abdul Hameed and PMLN’s Rana Farman Ali. GBLA-14 Astore-II: The main contests in the constituency are expected between PTI’s Shamsul Haq Lone, PML-N’s Rana Muhamad Farooq and PPP’s Muzaffar Ali Relay. The influential Gorikot Ulema Council has announced support for the PTI candidate and according to political observers, Shamul Haq Lone is expected to win elections in this constituency.

GBLA-15 Diamer-I: In this constituency, the main showdown is predicted between PPP’s Bashir Ahmed, Shah Baig (Independent) and JUI’F’s Waliur-Rehman. In this constituency, Thak and Niat areas have a large number of voters and the Syed Beradari’s votes are also considered crucial for any candidate to win the seat.

GBLA-16 Diamer-II: In this constituency and the main battle is expected between eng Muhammad Anwar of PML-N, PPP’s Dilbar Khan and Attaulla (Independent) and Abdul Aziz of PML-Q. Here the PML-Q candidate, according to locals, is the strongest candidate and the Soniwal tribe has announced their support for him.

GBLA-17 Diamer-III: The main contest here is expected between Rehmat Khaliq of JUI-F, Haider Khan of PTI and Muhammad Zaman (Independent). The PTI candidate is said to have a slight edge over his rivals in this constituency.

GBLA-18 Diamer-IV: The main tussle is expected between Malik Kifayat-urRehman (Independent), PTI’s Gulbar Khan, JUI-F’s Abdur Rasheed and PPP’s Sadia Danish. In this constituency, Malik Kifayatur-Rehman is said to have a strong vote bank and he is also backed by the PML-N.

Dr Yasmin Rashid inaugurates Corona Management Centre in Rawalpindi Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid inaugurated the Corona Management Center for Rawalpindi Division at Urology Institute on Saturday. The Center has been set up due to increasing number of cases in Rawalpindi.

Speaking to journalists after a round of the center, the health minister said Rawalpindi was facing a strong second wave as seven people have lost their lives in the last 24 hours. She said as many as 48 cases were reported in Rawalpindi in last one day. The minister said that after Lahore, the cities worst affected were Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad. As many as 35 paramedical staff have recovered and returned back to their duties. The minister said, “The staff of Rawalpindi Institute of Urology is very well trained to deal with the Pandemic. I urge people to follow safety precaution, not leave their homes without urgent need, wear masks and avoid shaking hands. People seem to have become careless about the SOPs. Only by wearing masks, the risk of spread can be reduced by 70pc. We have reserved 100 beds in the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and another 100 beds will be added by next week.

The cold trial of vaccine currently being forward is very different. NEWS DESK

LAHORE: Hindus celebrate Diwali, the festival of colours, at a temple near Ravi Road. ZUBAiR MEHFOOZ

Opposition will term defeat in GB polls as rigging, Faraz predicts ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz has predicted that the opposition will call their defeat in Gilgit-Baltistan polls as ‘rigging’, keeping in view their recent speeches and statements.

Addressing the news conference on Saturday afternoon, Shibli Faraz said that general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan will be held in a free and fair manner, as the PTI government strongly believes in transparency.

He said that opposition parties which are taking part in these elections are trying to cover their possible defeat through allegations of pre-poll rigging.

He said that all parties participated in the election campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan elections. He said that the

people of Gilgit-Baltistan welcomed the PTI, as they want solutions to the problems of the region. Previous governments have done nothing to solve problems in the last 10 years, he added. Faraz said that the media should cover the Gilgit-Baltistan elections and keep an eye on the situation. He said that PTI had forced the PML-N government to carry out electoral reforms. There is a contradiction in the thinking of the PML-N leadership.

He said that Pakistan is heading in the right direction and all indicators are showing a positive trend in the economy. He said that the industrial sector is growing despite Covid-19 impact. The information minister said that petroleum products prices will be further reduced for the next month.

He said that Current Account Deficit for the first time in the history of the country has declined and now it is

showing a surplus trend. The minister said that Pakistani rupee is also strengthening and prices of essential commodities are also decreasing due to prudent policies of the government. He said that economic indicators are showing that employment is increasing, adding the future of the country is linked with Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Affairs, Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday lashed out at the PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari ahead of polls in the region on November 15. He claimed that the PTI would win with a majority vote in the region as it could face a contest on six Gilgit Baltistan seats from the PPP. Rejecting rigging allegations from the opposition parties, he said that even if the PTI suffers defeat in the polls, it would not level allegations of rigging in the

elections. “In some constituencies, even the PTI workers are contesting against the party candidate,” he said while sharing the political situation in the region.

Ali Amin Gandapur while commenting on Bilawal’s remarks of calling him as ‘ganda’ [dirty], said that the PPP chairman is himself dirty as money earned from corruption is running through his veins. He outrightly rejected an impression from the PPP that the military has decided to hand over Gilgit Baltistan to the PPP. Further commenting on his remarks against Maryam Nawaz over expenditure on her make-up from the national exchequer, Gandapur said that he stands by his remarks. “Millions of rupees have been spent on the health of Maryam Nawaz from the national exchequer,” he said and asked as to who would be made accountable for this money. Further taking a jibe at the PML-N vice president, he said that Maryam Nawaz should first give respect to his husband, Safdar Awan, before raising the slogan of ‘give respect to vote’. “She is treating her husband like a driver and bodyguard,” he said.

Sunday, 15 November, 2020

04 NEWS

BaLOchiStan cM BreakS grOund fOr deveLOPMent PrOjectS in PaSni PASNI

B

CM INAUGURATES CONSTRUCTION WORK ON DAMS TO MEET CITY’S WATER REQUIREMENTS

STAFF REPORT

ALOCHISTAN Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Saturday laid the foundation stones of different development projects in Pasni. The chief minister inaugurated the construction work for dams in Pasni in order to meet the water requirements of the city. He marked the beginning of Dosi Dam, Shinzani Dam and Shore Protection Bund for both streamlined supplies of water, and protection of people in the in-

cidents of flash floods, besides marking the restoration of Pasni Fish Harbor.

Among other projects was a futsal court to encourage sports activities for youth in the region. The chief minister was also briefed on the occasion over the progress of recently initiated Pasni Hospital building construction.

For Pasni Hospital building construc-

Main runway of Lahore airport closed for a year for repair LAHORE: The main runway of the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, has been closed for a year on account of repair work, it emerged on Saturday. A secondary runway at the Lahore airport would be used as an alternate runway during the period, said a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The runway was closed after the CAA approved a requisition from the airport authorities to repair the main runway. The repair work would be completed by November 21, 2021, the CAA said. The airport manager said airlines have been directed to minimize the number of passengers and fuel quantity while landing at the secondary runway of the airport. Meanwhile, a Dubai-bound Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) plane made a technical landing at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, to onboard flight attendants. According to details, the flight tookoff from Lahore airport and made a technical landing at the Karachi airport enroute to Dubai. Sources said the flight made landing at the airport just to take flight attendants on board. However, the passengers got furious over being late and exchanged words with the PIA staff, said sources, adding that passengers were not allowed to come out of the plane from the two hours. STAFF REPORT

One of three accused of Sujawal gang-rape arrested: Police SUJAWAL: Police on Saturday claimed to have arrested a prime suspect for allegedly gang-raping a woman along with his two accomplices in Jati, Sujawal district of Sindh. According to police, the woman was allegedly molested for 10 days by three men in Sujawal and was freed later. The case of the incident was registered on the complaint of her father.

Later, the police in a raid arrested the main suspect named in the case, while two of his accomplice fled the scene. The main suspect is undergoing investigation, while further raids are being conducted to nab the remaining two accused in the gang-rape. Incidents of women being sexually assaulted or harassed have come up in the country time and again. Recently, it was reported that a woman and her four-year-old daughter were sexually assaulted by a gang in Kashmore district of Sindh. TLTP

tion, the CM approved a budget of Rs70 million in the ceremony.

On the fish harbour, Jam Kamal Khan acknowledged that thousands of people are associated with the fishing sector whose social sustenance depends on this industry.

“We will ensure concrete steps are taken to ensure the progress and well being of the fishermen community,” he said.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced to introduce 4G internet services and Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme (NPHS) in Balochistan for the benefit of common people.

He said, “Our objective to uplift Balochistan is not only limited to mere announcements of projects. We will fully focus on the development and progress of Balochistan to bring the province at par with other parts of the country.”

During his day-long visit to Turbat, the prime minister laid the foundation stone for the extension of Turbat Airport, 200 Beds

KCR resumption delayed over lack of arrangements KARACHI APP

Resumption of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) has been delayed over non-finalisation of the arrangements and will now be resumed on November 19, reports suggested on Saturday.

Earlier this week, Pakistan Railways had announced to partially resume the service from November 16 in phases. According to reports citing sources, the 14-km long track from City Station to Orangi Town remains unclear, while the station also lacks basic facilities.

Road crossing in Gulbai and other areas has become a complicated issue in the resumption of KCR and sources privy to the development said that traffic to be stopped temporarily through ropes at crossing points of the KCR trains.

Earlier on Friday, a KCR train comprising four bogies and two locomotives travelled a 14-kilometre-long distance from City Railway Station to Orangi Town.

The train took about two hours to cover the entire distance that is supposed to take minutes, they said, adding it took much longer than usual because of the dilapidated condition of the tracks and stations.

The KCR project is 12.63 kilometres at grade (on the ground), and 30.75 kilometres elevated with 24 railway stations out of which 14 will be elevated. The average distance between each station will be 1.8 kilometres.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday said work on the rehabilitation of the service is under way on court orders but Sindh government believes the project will be of little advantage because the fast-sprawling metropolis needs a modern mass transit system more than locomotives of the 1960s.

Makran Medical Teaching Hospital, University of Turbat Phase-II and Hoshab - Awaran Section of M-8.

He was also briefed about the progress on Basima-Khuzdar Road (N-30) and development package for South Balochistan.

The PM inaugurated the Daar-ul-Ehsaas for orphaned and poor children where free shelter, food and education would be provided. He also launched Ehsaas' Educational Scholarships for deserving primary school girls and undergraduates under the Waseelae-Taleem program.

Earlier, the Balochistan cabinet had approved allotment of 750 acres of land to the Ministry of Defence Production for construction of a shipyard in Pasni city of Gwadar district. The Balochistan government will allot the land to the ministry for construction of the shipyard on the basis of 30 percent equity. The provincial share will be 20-30 percent in the project. Around 10,000 jobs will be created in the shipyard.

3 women killed, nine injured in truck-van collision KARACHI INP

Three women were killed and nine people injured in collision between an over speeding truck and a van here in the metropolis on Saturday. According to details, an over speeding truck hit a van near Nooriabad area of Karachi. As a result of accident, three women were killed on the spot while nine people were injured. The bodies and injured were shifted to local hospital for medicolegal formalities. The unfortunate van was on its way to Nawabshah from Karachi when it met with the tragic mishap.

Pakistan receives first winter rain, snowfall ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Many parts of the country received the first rain of the winter on Saturday, ending a prolonged dry spell that caused increasing pollution and its related diseases.

According to reports, snowfall started in the mountainous regions of Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan, Chitral, Swat, Waziristan and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with rain in plains or on lower elevations.

Rain and/or snowfall is also being witnessed in

Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan where elections are scheduled for Sunday (today). It means the weather may influence the polling process.

Meanwhile, northwestern Balochistan, including Quetta and Chaman, started receiving rain of varying intensity since late Friday night while light snowfall was being witnessed on Khojak Pass.

Similarly, Islamabad too experienced drizzle.

However, rain and thunderstorm are predicted in the federal capital during the next 48 hours.

On the other hand, upper and central Punjab – including the smog-ridden Lahore – is to start receiving

rain from Saturday night with an increase in intensity on Sunday.

Earlier, the Met Office had predicted that the westerly will grip the western and upper part of the country on Friday and persist till Monday morning.

It was Upper Dir where the highest amount of rain – 22 millimetres – was recorded during the last 24 hours.

The Met Office says rain/thunderstorm and snow on mountains is expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi Division, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, KP and northwestern Balochistan. The plain areas of central Punjab may also receive some light rain.

Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar's decaying ancestral mansions being brought to life in Peshawar PESHAWAR AGENCIES

Tucked away close to the centuries-old Storytellers’ Bazaar, the decaying mansions as soon as residence to Bollywood superstars are being introduced again to life as Peshawar emerges from years of militancy.

The ancestral homes of Golden Age heroes Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar in the northwestern metropolis are symbols of its hyperlink to the world’s largest movie business, however have suffered from many years of neglect.

The area’s archaeology workforce says it’s shut to wresting the greater than 100-year-old buildings, situated in the coronary heart of the historic walled metropolis, from their non-public house owners to allow them to be restored and was museums.

“I always feel sad and angry while looking at Kapoor’s house, that it once was a beautiful mansion of top quality,” mentioned Samiuddin Khan, who remembers working by means of the 40room deserted home as a baby and flying kites from the rooftop.

“It was extremely beautiful inside.

The structure is still intact but some walls have collapsed and much of the wood has been damaged.”

In this picture taken on October 7, 2020, residents walk in front of the Kapoor mansion, the more than 100year-old ancestral home of late Indian

Bollywood icon Raj Kapoor in Peshawar, which authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plan to restore and turn into a museum.

Once an architectural surprise, the household residence of Kapoor, who died aged 63 in 1988, is influenced by Mughal empire, Central Asian and British colonial design, that includes ornately carved doorways and balconies and gothic-style home windows.

Kumar lived in a less complicated residence down a small lane in a busy market, its entrance pale and its roofless inside closely broken.

The actors grew up in 1/4 that’s residence to the fabled Qissa Khawani (storytellers) Bazaar where travellers would share tales of their adventures.

Kumar, who is now 97, has credited his successful career to his early life in the neighbourhood, where he first learned to narrate.

But like many emerging actors, the pair were enticed away from Peshawar to India’s entertainment centre Bombay, now Mumbai, in the years before the partition of British-ruled India.

The pair even starred alongside each other at the beginning of their careers, in the 1949 hit “Andaz”.

“This is our cultural heritage and we take pride in preserving it. We are very proud that Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor were from Peshawar,” mentioned Abdul Samad, director of archaeology and museums in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province

— of which Peshawar is the capital.

Present-day Indian famous person Shah Rukh Khan, generally known as the King of Bollywood, additionally has hyperlinks to the space however his household residence which remains to be in use has not suffered the similar decline.

Across the nation, tons of of pre-partition buildings have been left to spoil or been demolished over the years.

Many had been constructed by Hindus and Sikhs who left them behind once they fled newly based Muslim-majority Pakistan for India, archaeology specialists say.

HERITAGE TREASURE TROVE: Peshawar suffered an enormous knockback to its cultural standing after changing into a hotbed of extremist violence from the 1980s onwards, bringing a finish to the golden period of Pashto-language cinema in the area, generally known as Pollywood.

Militant teams, together with the Taliban, bombed at the least three cinemas and greater than 100 music outlets earlier than a navy crackdown close to the border with Afghanistan in 2015 resulted in drastic enhancements in safety.

As the metropolis revives, greater than 1,800 heritage buildings with conventional options have been recognized for preservation by the province’s archaeology workforce, however impoverished Pakistan will want years to prepare the funds required to their buy and

restoration.

“If a proper archaeological survey was conducted, we would discover a cultural site almost every kilometre,” mentioned archaeological director Samad about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

There are hurdles nonetheless to overcome in saving the Kapoor mansion too. Its proprietor Hajji Ali Qadir informed AFP he would take the authorities to courtroom if they didn’t pay him at the least two billion rupees ($12.5 million).

“I told them that it’s an antique and the price for an antique is multiplied 10 times,” he mentioned. “We will get more money if we build a plaza here.”

The archaeology division has mentioned it should use authorized powers if wanted to buy the Kapoor and Kumar homes with taxpayer cash, for a determine nonetheless to be decided by the province’s monetary authorities.

Bollywood motion pictures and their main actors are liked by Pakistanis, regardless of the nation’s contempt for its rival neighbour to the east.

Millions bypass bans on Indian movies in cinemas and on television by watching them on YouTube or pirated DVDs. “We felt proud and held our heads high while watching the actors from Peshawar performing in Indian movies, that this land has produced such great actors who proved their worth in Mumbai,” Khalo Khalil Sarhadi, an 80-year-old resident of Peshawar, informed AFP. “Now the new generation will know how Peshawar has produced big stars and actors, those who have given an identity to Pakistan and India,” he mentioned of the museum initiatives.

Sunday, 15 November, 2020

‘EdUcation MinistErs to convEnE on Monday to discUss latEst coronavirUs sitUation’ M

INISTER for Education Shafqat Mahmood on Saturday announced an important meeting will be held on Monday between education ministers to discuss the latest coronavirus situation in the country.

"As stated before, the health of our students is our number one priority," he said.

The news came as 2,165 cases were reported in Pakistan over the last 24 hours, with 17 people dying from the virus.

The total cases in Pakistan as of Saturday were 354,461, with total deaths at 7,109.

There are currently 24,938 active cases in the country, of which 1,316 are said by the national dashboard to be critical — with 97 on ventilators.

The announcement also comes in the backdrop of a recommendation by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) for “early and extended winter vacations” due to the rising positivity ratio being reported from educational institutes.

The apex body tasked with handling the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic had announced earlier that Mahmood will chair a special session with provincial education ministers on November 16 where the recommendation will be put forward.

It also said that the meeting of the ministers will also “assess and review the positivity ratio prevailing in educational institutions”.

The NCOC decided to put forward the recommendation after Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar chaired a session of the body that reviewed the “epidemic curve data and disease prevalence in the country including education sector”.

According to a statement, the NCOC was informed

"India cannot tolerate Pakistan's success against terrorism."

THE DOSSIER: Addressing the presser, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Gen Iftikhar provided some of the evidence that had been included in the dossier being provided to international powers. “The recent upsurge in the violence in Pakistan is a direct consequence of India’s intensified engagements with all brands of terrorists, sub-nationalists and dissidents,” he said.

He said in November 2018, India had united the BRA, BLA, and BLF under the umbrella of Baloch Raaji Aajole Sangar (BRAS). Similarly, he said, in August 2020, TTP, JuA and Harakatul Ansar had been united under the TTP’s umbrella.

All these groups had been united as a single consortium today, he said. One Colonel Rajesh, Gen Babar said, from the Indian military's intelligence wing was employed in the Indian consulate in Afghanistan and was engaging with TTP and sub-nationalists to foment terrorism in Quetta, Peshawar and Karachi.

“It has also been revealed that Indian intelligence agencies are trying to establish Pakistan’s linkage with ISIS by creating Daesh-e-Pakistan,” he said, adding that 30 Indian ISIS terrorists had been re-

05

PM vows ‘stringent, holistic’ anti-rape ordinance next week ContInued fRom pAge 01 An FIR into the incident was registered on Thursday. Kashmore SSP Amjad Ali Shaikh said the police incorporated Section 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 and Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in the FIR originally registered under Sections 376, 344, 420 and 34 of the PPC and the main suspect was accused of subjecting both, the woman and her minor daughter, to rape. It may be mentioned here that the premier had said that the government will soon introduce three-tier legislation including registration of sex offenders, exemplary punishment for rape and child abuse and effective policing. In an interview, PM Imran had also suggested public hanging and chemical castrating the convicts to curb rising sexual violence in the country.

UK to ban sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030

about the “increasing positivity ratio in educational institutions” and the need to stop the trend. The body also shared that it will share with the provinces its recommendations, after “consultative discussions”, for “consequent decision and enforcement”.

“The forum, taking into account rising positivity ratio, suggested for an early and extended winter vacations to reduce impact of disease spread and ensure safety and health of students,” said the NCOC statement.

In a meeting last week, Pakistan had decided to keep the schools open in the country.

The meeting was presided by Mahmood and was attended by his provincial counterparts as well.

The decision was made unanimously by all provincial education ministers after health ministry officials briefed the participants of the online meeting on Pakistan's coronavirus situation.

The meeting had also ruled that there would be no winter holidays in Punjab, while a decision on whether there would minimal number of winter holidays or none at all would depend on geography of the respective provinces.

The meeting's participants had agreed at the time that in the current situation, there was no need to close educational institutes. However, coronavirus has been spreading rapidly since, with the number of new cases rising sharply. NEWS DESK

Pakistan shares ‘irrefutable evidence’ of Indian state-sponsored terrorism ContInued fRom pAge 01

NewS

located from India to safe havens along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border where they had been placed at the disposal of Daesh commander Sheikh Abdul Rahim.

The ISPR chief said evidence showed Indian embassies and consulates operating along Pakistan’s borders had become hubs of terror sponsorship against Pakistan. He said Indian ambassadors in Afghanistan regularly supervised terrorist activities, specifically citing the ambassador and consular in Jalalabad held detailed discussions with collaborators to provide financial support to TTP and dissident Baloch elements.

“RAW made two transactions to promote terrorism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa — both were made through Indian banks. $28,000 were transferred through Punjab Bank India, and $55,851 was sent by Indian national Manmeet through New Delhi to Afghanistan International Bank,” he said.

India had paid $820,000 to TTP leadership through its collaborators, he added.

Gen Babar further said India had raised a militia of 700 people to undertake terrorism in Balochistan to sabotage CPEC. “A commission comprising 24 members was created, which includes 10 RAW operatives. A sum of $60 million was dedicated for this force,” he said.

The Indian embassy regularly paid “handsome amounts” to sub-nationalists

under the garb of humanitarian assistance work. He said confessions of Sarfraz Merchant and Tariq Mir had revealed that $3.23 million had been paid to MQM founder Altaf Hussain by RAW through two Indian companies.

“India has also been rendering support to various entities through the provision of weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices,” he said, saying a RAW-sponsored network of 6 terrorists had recently been unearthed with linkages to an attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in June 2020.

He said RAW agents had been involved in motivating the tribals in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to send fighters in Afghanistan for training. Revealing a map, he said that India was managing 66 base camps in Afghanistan and 21 in India to harbour, train and launch terrorists against Pakistan.

“A former Indian ambassador and an Indian Army general visited a Baloch militant training camp in Haji Gak,” he said, citing a letter in Dari. “The camp housed 150 militants.”

He said India had also paid $30 million to establish a camp in Kandahar to house Baloch militants, adding that weapons and ammunition were supplied via helicopter.

The ISPR chief also said RAW had

planned the attack on Pear Continental Hotel in Gwadar, providing $500,000 for it. He also played an audio clip of one Dr. Allah Nazar being provided attack instructions by a RAW handler.

Gen Iftikhar said investigations of the 2017 attack on Peshawar’s Agriculture University had also led to the masterminds of the 2014 Army Public School attack. “RAW had hired three facilitators for planning the attack on Agriculture University, including Malik Feridoon, who was also involved in planning the APS attack,” he said.

He said a RAW sleeper cell had also been discovered in Karachi, adding that 13 members of it had been apprehended.

Main accused Mehmood Siddiqui is an absconder and is residing in India, he added. Detailing other attacks, he also played an audio clip of an Indian handler training terrorists in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on how to use IEDs. In Gilgit-Baltistan, the ISPR chief said, India had long been planning to try to foment unrest. He said RAW was planning to subvert attempts to grant provisional provincial status to the region, adding that plans called for dissidents to be mobilised after November 20.

“It is India that needs to be scrutinized by the FATF in light of the evidence provided by Pakistan as well as recent revelations of India’s terror financing,” he said.

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to announce next week a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, five years earlier than previously planned, the Financial Times reported on Saturday. Britain had originally planned to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars from 2040, as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and in February Johnson brought this forward to 2035. Citing unidentified industry and government figures, the FT said Johnson now intended to move the date forward again to 2030 in a speech on environmental policy he is expected to give next week. The BBC reported a similar plan earlier on Saturday, without giving any sources. A Downing Street spokeswoman declined to comment on the reports or the content of Johnson’s upcoming speech. The FT said the new timetable was not expected to apply to some hybrid cars which use a mixture of electric and fossil fuel propulsion and could still be sold until 2035. An end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars would mark a huge shift in Britain’s automotive market. Industry figures show that petrol and diesel powered cars accounted for 73.6pc of new car sales so far this year, while just 5.5pc of sales were for pure electric vehicles, which are typically more expensive. Hybrid vehicles of various types made up the remaining sales. AGENCIES

Egypt showcases scores of 25,000year-old coffins SAQQARA: Egypt on Saturday showcased more than 100 coffins dating back 25,000 years, the latest and largest find this year in the vast burial ground of the Saqqara Necropolis. The 6th Dynasty coffins - sealed, finely painted and well-preserved - were of a higher quality than previous finds there, said the secretary-general of the supreme council of antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, suggesting they belonged to higher ranking families. Fifty-nine coffins were unearthed in August at the same UNESCO world heritage site. More treasures are expected to be found there, said Waziri. The newlydiscovered coffins, plus associated mummies and artefacts, will go on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is expected to open next year. AGENCIES

Infrastructure development in Port Qasim industrial zones kicks off KARACHI APP

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi on Saturday witnessed groundbreaking of infrastructure development projects at Port Qasim's industrial zones and balloting of residential plots for Port Qasim Authority's employees in Gulshan-eBenazir Township Scheme of the port.

The Minister, on this occasion, announced scholarship for the daughter of Assistant SubInspector Muhammad Bakhsh Buriro, who valiantly put his daughter’s life at risk to apprehend the culprits in Alishah’s case in Kashmore. Thus, he set an example for other police officials that they must not hesitate from accepting any challenge and giving any kind sacrifice to fulfill the great responsibility entrusted upon them by the nation.

"The ASI and his daughter both deserve appreciation for their heroic act," he remarked adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan had also praised the ASI and his daughter. On the directives of the Prime Minister, scholarship for ASI's daughter was being announced from PQA's Corporate Social Responsibility fund.

He underlined the need for reforms in Sindh Police to make them purely professional and public-friendly force.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs appreciated Chairman PQA, Rear Admiral (Retd) Syed Hasan Nasir Shah for his commitment and well-planned efforts for the development of the port. He hoped that the development projects would be completed within stipulated contractual period.

He said there was need for setting up a Maritime Services Company to provide

dredging and other related services to the sea-ports, which used to spend their huge budget on dredging of their channels and to get other required services.

He noted that there was huge growth potential in Port Qasim and Karachi Port which could be utilized to earn big amount of money. In the past, havoc was played with these national assets. Since 2008, no financial audit was done in Port Qasim and in KPT since 2010. However, he said, with resumption of his office as Maritime Affairs Minister he ordered detailed audit of the both ports and in Port Qasim it had been completed up to 2016 and in KPT the process was also going on.

Syed Ali Haider Zaidi lamented that some elements were busy in spreading wrong information through media about LNG terminals at Port Qasim and warned

CMYK

them to desist from such irresponsible statements. Otherwise, they would get harsh response and would have to face humiliation before the nation.

PQA's Chairman Rear Admiral (Retd) Syed Hasan Nasir Shah, in his welcome address, briefed about the historical development in Port Qasim, which was set up in 1973 and it commissioned its first berth for Iron Ore and Coal Berth in 1980 to support Pakistan Steel Mills operations. Now, it has 15 state-of-the-art mechanized terminals.

He said Port Qasim, being only port with LNG terminals, had become ‘energy hub’ of the country. He apprised the Minister of the current contracts for infrastructure development in the industrial zones including those of three contractors for roads, sewerae and water supply systems.

He said the Port Qasim had great poten-

tial for development and the management had been trying its best to fully exploit it.

Port Qasim was one of the fast growing entities in public sector having working capital of Rs 36 billion. About the future port projects, he said the final letters of interest for two more LNG terminals had been issued to M/s. Energas (Pvt.) Ltd and M/s. Tabeer Energy (Pvt.) Ltd. Moreover, letter of interest for 2nd integrated oil terminal had been issued to Frontier Works Organization.

He said the port was planning for two multi-purpose terminals and one integrated Container terminal in upcoming years.

He said the port was in process of procurement of four LNG Tugs, two Pilot Boats and two Mooring Boats.

The event was also attended by senior officers of PQA, representatives of private port facilities and industrialists.

Sunday, 15 November, 2020

06 COMMENT

An acute poverty of mind

The Indian dilemma Insurgency fails to end despite barbarities

Insensitivity is as much a tragedy as any other

R

elations between india and Pakistan have fast headed south under the Hindu nationalist regime of Prime Minister narendra Modi. one of the indications is the rise in ceasefire violations. india blames Pakistan of resorting to cross border firing to provide cover to terrorists to infiltrate into indian-held Kashmir. the facts show that a new generation of home-grown militants is in the field now with names like “People’s anti-Fascist Front (PaFF)” and “the Resistance Front (tRF)”. only days back, indian troops had an encounter with indigenous freedom fighters in Kupwara district opposite neelum Valley in aJK. suffering casualties, indian troops opened fire to target civilians in aJK More than a year after the revocation of the occupied Kashmir’s special status statehood, Mr Modi’s master stroke has proven to be a master failure. no doubt a number of militant leaders have been eliminated and public protest and stone-throwing prevented, but the level of violence in indian-Held Kashmir has failed to come down. as revealed by data published by the south asia terrorism Portal, levels of violence were coming down at the beginning of this decade, with the lowest point reached in 2012 when 19 civilians, 18 security personnel and 84 terrorists/extremists killed. in just eight months of 2020, 17 civilians, 34 security personnel and 154 terrorists/extremists have been killed. the lockdown in the Valley combined with overwhelming presence of security forces and intelligence personnel might have sealed the loC but it has failed to eliminate local insurgency. the reason is simple; india not only treats indianHeld Kashmir as a colony, but continues to provide fresh provocations to Kashmiri people. More recently it has allowed non-residents to buy property in indian-Held Kashmir. this amounts to rubbing salt on wounds.

Mr Modi is a bully who kowtows to the strong and viciously targets those he considers weaker. this is shown by the BJP government’s policy on india’s border disputes. Despite losing indian soldiers in Galwan Valley, india pleads for resolution of border disputes with China through talks while it continues to target the civilian population on this side of the loC. there is a need on the part of india to resolve outstanding issues with Pakistan peacefully instead of indulging in aggressive actions.

Rabia ahmed

T

His newspaper recently published a report about how south asia ranks highest in incidents of ‘child stunting,’ based on a study by laura Hammond. another national daily reports that four out of ten children in Pakistan are ‘unlikely ever to meet their cognitive and developmental potential’, which is “44 percent nationally, the third highest in the world.” an insufficient diet, which means an insufficiency of required nutrients can lead to ‘stunting,’ which leads to children failing to achieve normal growth, and can also lead to permanent damage to the brain. this insufficiency can occur while the child is still unborn if there is insufficient food for the family, including the mother, it can occur after a child is born when it is growing, or both. the study includes the Global Hunger index (GHi) on which Pakistan ranks at 106 out of a total of 116 countries. that means in plain terms that in this country there is a horrific incidence of people not having enough to eat.

Covid-19 has only added itself to the long list of already existing diseases that prove much more dangerous to those who have an insufficient or improper dietary intake. an improper intake implies too much processed food, or food that is too high in salt, sugars or other undesirable ingredients. a sufficient intake requires both an informed choice and the financial ability to obtain it. so it is a spiral: poverty leading to lack of education leading to an insufficient earning capacity– leading back to poverty which means an insufficient diet, and/ or one full of all the wrong things. on top of this is the unfair inflation of prices these days; a slippery slope that requires urgent attention. they keep saying they’ll do something about it, but ‘something’ has yet to be seen. the country is poor, the government uninterested. even if it were interested it lacks the scale of funds required. Private individuals donate a great deal to charity in Pakistan, but an even greater effort is needed. a few years ago there was the case of sakina, a poor peasant woman who was ill but could not afford medical care. the husband was too poor to afford basic food items. the family, which included two

Second wave in full swing Government must take tough decisions

i

t was all but inevitable that Pakistan, although having fared relatively well during the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic, would have to face a second bout that is now in full swing across the country. the initial response to covid-19 was spectacularly mishandled as the influx from iran was allowed to pour in with the taftan border left open and incoming traffic not quarantined properly; the tablighi Jamaat was allowed to hold its ijtema in Raiwand and Prime Minister imran Khan equated the virus to the common cold, leading to an inevitable capacity issue at both public and private hospitals

by June, which is when the peak hit. For whatever reason, a lot of which is not scientifically substantiated, the curve plateaued out leading to a period of declining positive cases and mortality, allowing the government to open up the country which, to be fair, was not that closed up to begin with.

Pakistan is now in the same boat as most of the rest of the world: facing a cold corona winter. Cases have risen by a whopping 43 percent in the last seven days and for the first time since July over 2000 cases were recorded yesterday. although the government is saying all the right things by encouraging the general public to wear masks and maintain social distance, it seems unwilling to take the same precautions for itself. the Pti has been campaigning for the GB elections with full force, holding massive public gatherings with virtually no covid-19 soPs being enforced. opposition parties, allied under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), have so far held three massive ‘super-spreader’ rallies, not in the least bothered about the rising infection rate. schools were opened in phases during the lull, but unfortunately, despite rising cases, both the Punjab government and the centre have completely ruled out closing schools this time round. the government must keep its policymaking with regards to the pandemic fluid, not rigid, because a contagion cannot be controlled if ego and emotions, rather than science and facts, are dictating policymaking. Requesting the public to follow soPs may not be enough; tough decisions such as lockdowns and complete closures of certain industries will need to be revisited to control a situation that has gotten out of control already.

Sexual Harassment in Pakistan Challenges and Prospects Rameez mahesaR

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o be fair, sexual harassment is an intractable problem all across the world; but some societies are documenting fewer cases because they have taken sturdier steps to deal with the problem. this malpractice starts making progress when a man holds a superior position of power and starts bullying, exploiting, pressuring, and blackmailing the women over sex. in this respect, reports appearing in the newspapers bring to the surface the overwhelming shreds of evidence. if we set foot in the public-sector institutions, we can easily observe that they are not out of danger. tertiary institutions that are supposed to render their services as solution centers are frequently embroiled in cases related to sexual harassment. then the question is; how to curb this pig-headed menace?

Prior to solving the problem, it will have to be contemplated as to how to bar this heinous crime from being practised. the solution, however, lies in prevention. it will have to begin working from the family unit because it plays a very constructive role in the reformation of society. the greater attention of parents in this regard is radically required to raise and mold their male children who must be rovided with sufficient psychological, spiritual, and emotional stability to empower them to function as decent adults.

Besides, family units must have nothing to do with the run-through of shielding-cum-supporting those who are sex offenders. it is a general phenomenon in Pakistan that social media activism scintillates with quarrels against the occurrence of sexual harassment if it occurs, but after this, it works to secure the release of rapists and culprits of other sorts of sexual violence. again, there are the women who prefer to care

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children, was starving. sakina eventually ended her ently something like Rs 200 crore. the function broke life by consuming pesticide. she is one of the many not just religious injunctions (allah loves not the for whom death seems to be the most peaceful option. wasters: al a’raf, 7:31) but also ignored safety meassuch cases take place all over the world, as in ures, and managed to break all rules that limit the syria where over 22 persons starved to death a few number of guests and number of dishes at such funcyears ago, and in Yemen where millions were close tions. there must be any number of well lubricated palms floating around the city at present that have litto starvation in 2017.

But ever since covid-19 put in an appearance the tle to do with nivea or oil of Ulay. it seems not to have occurred to these families situation has become even worse. Unless measures are taken, something like 12,000 people a day are that the tailors and artisans who stitched their prohiblikely to die of hunger around the world for reasons itively expensive clothes, the men who set up their directly related to the current pandemic, oxfam re- chairs and elaborate dais, the cooks who prepared their food and the waiters ports. who served it came from in Dadu a young labourer families that were many of recently offered one of his them close to the brink of sons for sale, because he had What else could have been starvation, who must have lost his job following the panat the riches around demic. as a result his wife, achieved with this money? How looked them and questioned life itchildren and his parents were facing starvation. much food could it have bought self. the FBR, which moves in a large fishing commufor thousands of persons, for in mysterious ways, asked nity strung out on a series of islands off the coast of thatta the fishermen of Thatta, for the the event managers and those who performed at the wedin sindh, since covid-19 appeared on the scene, and the young children of impoverished ding to explain themselves following the wedding. usual fish markets shut down, fathers? How many Sakinas somewhat as an afterthought the already poverty-stricken they have also, and very lives of these fishermen suf- could it have saved from killing rightly so, questioned the two fered further. the community now faces starvation on a themselves, how many children families involved.

Whether this questioning large scale. saved from hunger? How many will result in any answers or Meantime oxfam has simply some smirking indiwarned that more people are persons could it have educated viduals, we are still to dislikely to die of hunger caused so they could support cover. But several people one by covid-19 than of the illness, and an incredible numthemselves and their families? knows have decided to get tiles from elsewhere, ber have already died of the How much heartache for how their and have switched their grodisease. oxfam also mentions cery preference to other outthat women suffer even more many millions─ and yet all it did lets. since they are so often the tarwas feed those who already eat What else could have get of discrimination. been achieved with this after all this information too much. Such acute poverty of money? How much food which cannot really be news could it have bought for thouto most people, and it may mind has to be as much a sands of persons, for the fishcome as a surprise that the tragedy as any other ermen of thatta, for the main focus of this column is young children of impovernot hunger, or poverty or ished fathers? How many even stunting. it is in fact the sakinas could it have saved exact opposite of all these from killing themselves, how things: repletion, riches and obesity, all of which were on display recently at a many children saved from hunger? How many persons function to celebrate the marriage of two business could it have educated so they could support themfamilies who clearly did not know what to do with selves and their families? How much heartache for how many millions─ and yet all it did was feed those their excessive wealth. in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, in the who already eat too much. such acute poverty of mind midst of a world suffering from disease, poverty and has to be as much a tragedy as any other. death two families saw fit to spend their money on Rabia Ahmed is a freelance columnist. Read more rivers of food, flowers and rich clothing. an insane amount of money was spent on the function, appar- by her at http://rabia-ahmed.blogspot.com

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lop-sided in the leniency of faculty. teachers need to be continually made cognizant of sensitisation to hold a superior position of responsibility which must not for their spouses who mistreat their daughters. they be stirred up. additionally, sometimes the cases are would rather protect the men and leave their daugh- extended to the favour of students– by dint of the amters to face the music of suffering. these women have biguity which is in the system. to put themselves in the mind of their ill-fated daughthere are the students who sometimes intend to ters to believe that the suffering from sexual exploita- get even with their teachers and start spreading rution is undreamed-of. mours of harassment. such charges needs to be justiafterward, it is the justice fied clearly or some system that needs to be made independent investigators must more effective so that recorded be engaged to look into the cases concerning sexual hacases on the campuses to make rassment may industriously be certain that investigation reIf this malpractice reigns, dealt with. the reforms in the ports are taken to their logival regulatory as well as statutory conclusion. Because taking admerit sinks, the system fails, charters should be brought to vantage on the basis of sex is liand the unqualified people centious behaviour that begets make certain that the laws against sexual violence are enimmorality, injustice, and corachieve what they do not forced accordingly. ruption in society. as far as next are the workplaces, deserve, while the best people women are concerned, it is the where the staff needs to be peright time for them to resist sexriodically trained towards more are run down. It is high time to ual harassers in institutions, accountability in the nexus be- completely wipe this out from workplaces, and in their famitween genders, as well as prolies. in addition, it is, thus, ilcedures and standardised our collective psyche in that it logical for a woman to give a processes by which women, willingly ‘what he wants’ is inhuman, illegal, immoral, man fallen victim to sexual harasswhen the demand is inappropriment, can complain and get ate. and crude at most justice sans any delay. this if this malpractice reigns, same redress should be possimerit sinks, the system fails, ble for their counterpart male and the unqualified people staff as well. if any misconduct achieve what they do not deof sexual violence occurs in the workplaces, offend- serve, while the best people are run down. it is high ers must be brought to justice and be punished se- time to completely wipe this out from our collective verely– but not inhumanly, so as to provide psyche in that it is inhuman, illegal, immoral, and deterrence to others and set the example of justice. crude at most. in recent times, some issues have come out in the open that not only have aggravated the standard of The writer is a member of the editorial board of higher education at the tertiary level but have also a Russian research journal; “Bulleting of Science scattered the seed of fear in the minds of pupils. the and Practice.” He can be contacted at rameezalimapower dynamics between teachers and students is hesar@gmail.com

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COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan today exclusively

Smog is ruining us

Gilgit-Baltistan elections and after A darkening and depleting cell of political wilderness

Candid Corner Raoof hasan “i have studied pathological liars. anything they say, they believe. that is one of the reasons they are so convincing because they have no connection with the truth. it is a dead issue. it is like they are colour-blind to the truth. so, anything that comes out of their mouths is their reality.”

–Jane Velez-Mitch

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o much is happening, and in such quick sequence that it is difficult to keep track. Yet, it makes for such interesting revelations regarding the Machiavellian alacrity with which the chameleon keeps changing its colours that one can’t resist the temptation. With profound apologies to its author, Helena alvarez, here it goes: Mirror, mirror on the wall i am telling you all my secrets once and for all i really want you to see the real side of me not the face that i pride But the one that i hide i know that you know What i cover with a glow let that not be seen For it would take off my sheen and it goes on. now, who does this fit?

Does that make for a difficult guess? it is the one and the only ‘popper queen’ this country has produced: Maryam safdar─ a convict who prefers to go by the name of Maryam nawaz.

Why? We all know that. no need stating it again. i wrote one a long time ago. that was about his uncle, shahbaz sharif, when he ruled Punjab. it was titled “the faces behind the face”. among other things, i had this to say about him: “But, then, that is the trademark solution of this political clan: dig deep into the pot of duplicity and corruption and retreat to the flanks innocent as a new-born. one thought that paucity of intellect was the only area of concern for the ruling elite of Punjab, but it appears that there are others, too, that may be more grievous than the first mentioned. it makes one humiliating saga of deceit and exploitation of people’s faith and trust.

How worse can it really get than this?”

Well, i never thought that it would get any worse than that. But i was wrong. the putrid trail of duplicity, loot and plunder has been taken many notches further by his own niece, the daughter of that master craftsman, convict and absconder nawaz sharif, who virtually chiselled the traits into an art form which he and his clan

have been practising with such utter disdain for far, the most popular party and imran Khan the the rule of law, thinking that no one would be most trusted leader. the ground surge further able to see through. But, then, deviousness has certifies these projections. this led to the but a pitiable end. that is what we are now wit- wicked disciple seeking a meeting with Bilawal Zardari in which, understandably, she floated the nessing. the daughter has emerged as the true disciple idea of seat adjustment between the two parties. of a wicked master. she speaks many languages this was rejected by the PPP which thinks that which don’t necessarily come in word form, but it has a chance of doing well on its own. thus deprived of any hope in an open conclad in meanings which vary from time to time, from situation to situation. let’s take the case of test, and with her political fortunes hurtling into the military. it has been variously referred to by a nosedive, the wicked one resorted to another this clan on various occasions. once upon a time, vile trick. in an interview with the BBC, she said it was the warm lap they loved to sit in and drink that she would be willing to talk to the military eagerly from the bottle offered. they enjoyed if they would first remove Prime Minister many a honeymoon. Upon losing the election in Khan’s government. one thought that her battle, 2018 and facing the prospect of being held to ac- and that of her convict-absconder father, rested count for the remorseless spree of pillaging that on the fraudulent narrative of ushering in an era of genuine democracy they and their political and civilian supremacy minions had unleashed, in the country sans interthey opted to challenge ference by the military, the military. that is but here she was appealwhen it was called the The PDM is all but rendered ing to the very force her ‘khalai makhlooq’ for having usurped their dysfunctional. With the looming clan has been so venomously accusing of eternal right to rule their defeat in the G-B elections, the having deprived them of fiefdom. fiefdom. after exhausting PML(N) goose will not only be theirthe boat she has their backdoor channels cooked, there will be no one been riding is leaking for a compromise with the PPP has tell-tale revelations that willing to support its narrative profusely. backed off and is quite such efforts had indeed been undertaken, the which keeps changing with the unwilling to support an anti-military narrative. convict-absconder thuncurrent of the tide. Maryam there is revolt brewing dered that no one from in the JUi(F) with two the party would estabSafdar has emerged as a of their leaders, Hafiz lish any contact with the Machiavellian manipulator who Hussain ahmad and military. i have written Maulana sheerani, rebefore that i am personcan indulge shamelessly in moved from their really witness to the wicked master properversion of truth and fact to spective positions. they had refused to espouse claiming that he would advance her cause. There is Maulana Fazlur ensure that the military Rehman’s support for did not remain in a posinothing known as principles or the PMl(n) and its tion to do the 1999 on him ever again. so, the morality in her thesaurus as she stance. it is reliably learnt that they, together intention to defang the goes from position to position with some other discormilitary was always there. it is only that the in a wild chase for securing a dant voices, will soon be launching their own facwicked clan was waitdeal to keep the ray of hope tion of the party. ing for an appropriate the PDM is all but time. and what time alight in a darkening and rendered dysfunctional. could be more appropridepleting cell of political With the looming defeat ate than when they were in the G-B elections, the deprived of their ‘right’ wilderness. As they say some PMl(n) goose will not to rule? that is when they decided to play the are wont to dig their own graves only be cooked, there will be no one willing to innocent sufferers at the support its narrative hands of the military which keeps changing and proceeded malevowith the current of the lently to incite rebellion within the institution. it was vile and subversive. tide. Maryam safdar has emerged as a Machione thought that it was a well-orchestrated po- avellian manipulator who can indulge shamesition the clan had taken and they would keep lessly in perversion of truth and fact to advance pounding upon it, hoping that it would work to her cause. there is nothing known as principles or morality in her thesaurus as she goes from potheir advantage.

But, no, one was wrong yet again simply be- sition to position in a wild chase for securing a cause there is no end to their trail of unprincipled deal to keep the ray of hope alight in a darkening pursuits, bordering on evil. this happened on the and depleting cell of political wilderness. as eve of elections in Gilgit-Baltistan scheduled for they say some are wont to dig their own graves.

For Pti, the sparkle of celebration on nonovember 15. to begin with, there was much drumming as if the PMl(n) would emerge as vember 15 will light up the sky─ and the hearts! the outright winners. But, with time, it was esThe writer is a political and security stratetablished that they would be the last on the victory stand, a poor third. this was further gist, and heads the Regional Peace Institute – established with the publication of two surveys: an Islamabad-based think tank. Email: Twitter: one by Gallop and the other by Pulse Consultant. raoofhasan@hotmail.com.

Both these surveys reiterated that Pti was, by @RaoofHasan

sMoG levels reached hazardous levels on Friday as Faisalabad and lahore topped the world’s most polluted cities index, followed by new Delhi. the overall air quality of lahore was recorded as 321 with a high concentration of PM2.5 of 270 microgrammes per cubic metre, which is the most damaging of the particulate matter in the air and is absorbed directly into the bloodstream and impacts organs. Faisalabad ranked even worse with 440 Us air quality index (aQi). lahore’s smog conditions have gradually worsened this week with the aQi rising to 281, 295 and 296 on tuesday, Wednesday and thursday, respectively and Friday being the worst. Weekends are being seen as a few degrees better when there is less transport on the roads. While the environment Protection Department is quick to point out that the air Visual monitors are giving incorrect readings of the smog levels, experts maintain that the conditions are as bad as they seem. according to environmental experts and an earlier report by the Food and agriculture organisation, the cause of smog remains years-long pollution caused mostly by the transport sector and industries, and not just crop burning. trans-boundary pollution is also not the main reason as the Met Department has confirmed that Punjab primarily experiences a westerly wave during winter. Meanwhile, the space and Upper atmosphere Research Commission (suparco) is also actively providing information regarding the weather conditions and has highlighted 28 districts in Punjab where smog levels have been increasing. through satellite images, suparco has told the Provincial Disaster Management authority (PDMa) that 28 districts in Punjab are contributing to smog by burning crop remains. this includes lahore and its adjoining areas as well as Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur. the respective district administrations have been directed by the PDMa to ensure zero tolerance for crop stubble burning. For the past two days, suparco has pointed out 1,290 areas for burning stubble. Meanwhile, out of the 162 brick kilns still operating on the old technology, around 80 were converted to zigzag recently, while work was under way on the others. out of the 80 zigzag kilns, 30 have been newly built and the remaining converted.

EHTISHAm AHmAd LAHoRE

Fog vs Smog siR i want to show my concerns about the topic that is fog vs smog and how smog affects us. Basically fog and smog look alike in vision but different in nature, smog is basically a form of air pollution resulting from chemical toxins desperate into the atmosphere whereas fog contains water droplet accumulation in air.

But we faced smog recently, not fog. that is totally linked with automobile traffic and mild wind and adversely affects our windpipe and breathing phenomenon as well. Can cause lungs infection, eye irritation etc. to avoid this terrific disaster, we should take into consideration that we must wear masks while going outside, especially in that time when smog is on peak. Basically the mask is act as a bridge between the toxic contaminated air and our nostrils. no smog can pass no infection takes place. it’s very simple to do but very effective prevention to save us from different respiratory diseases. stay safe, stay healthy. (May allah save us from every disaster ameen) FATImA SATTAR LAHoRE

Covid again aFteR a few months of respite, the number of covid-19 cases are on the rise throughout the country. the number of new cases of the lethal infection and associated deaths are matching the levels which were last seen in July. it seems this time , the deadly virus is spreading in the country more than before. the virus is once again claiming the lives of our first responders, including doctors. and there are some notable casualties also including Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court Justice Vaqar ahmed seth and PPP leader Jam Madad ali who was a MPa from sindh . this alarming situation has promoted the measures that put large swathes of the country into a forced lockdown. so, it is high time to deal with the fatal pandemic. a right balance needs to be found between health and economics as Prime Minister imran Khan has been advocating since the very beginning. However, the public needs to follow soPs and stay at home in order this deadly virus must not spread more throughout the country.

ImTIAz JAvId AwARAn

Indian terror proven PaKistan on saturday unveiled a dossier containing "irrefutable evidence" of india's sponsorship of terrorism in the country and called on the international community to take notice and make efforts for peace and stability in south asia. in a joint press conference with inter-services Public Relations (isPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar iftikhar in islamabad, Foreign Minister shah Mahmood Qureshi condemned the recent ceasefire violations by india across the line of Control (loC) and said the purpose of the presser was to show "the real face of india" to the world. "the state that used to say that it was the world's biggest democracy is [now] becoming a rogue state through its activities. We have information and evidence on the basis of which i can say india is fanning state terrorism. india has prepared a plan to destabilise Pakistan," Qureshi began. He said that he had been highlighting india's activities at different levels and fora but it was time to take the nation and the world community into confidence because he believed further silence was not in the interest of Pakistan and regional stability. the foreign minister said Pakistanis had faced 19,130 terrorist attacks between 2001 and 2020 and suffered more than 83,000 casualties in the war against terrorism. the country also suffered monetary losses of at least $126 billion. "after 9/11, the world saw that Pakistan has become a front-line state. While Pakistan was making sacrifices in 'blood and treasure', india was busy laying terrorist networks using its own soil and the spaces in [Pakistan's] immediate neighbourhood and beyond. "today, we have undeniable evidence and we want to show it in the form of this dossier to the nation and the world," Qureshi said. in the last three to four months, [people] may have felt that terrorism was being fanned in the nation again, he said, citing recent attacks in Peshawar and Quetta as examples.

AHmAd ImRAn KARAcHI

Sunday, 15 November, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

PreSIdenTS CoMe and go. rUPerT MUrdoCh reMaInS FOX NEWS HAS LASTED THROUGH “MULTIPLE PRESIDENTS, AND THEY’RE GOING TO BE AROUND FOR MULTIPLE MORE,” SAID ONE RIGHT-WING MEDIA EXECUTIVE

new York tiMeS

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MICHAEL MGrynbAUM

RESIDENTS come and go. Rupert Murdoch remains. For those who wondered how Mr. Murdoch, the octogenarian media magnate with a conservative streak, would react to the electoral defeat of President Trump, the past few days have brought a complicated answer, well-suited to the mercurial nature of Mr. Murdoch’s world.

The New York Post, the Murdoch tabloid that attacked Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son Hunter before the election, splashed a beaming Mr. Biden on its Sunday cover — “IT’S JOE TIME” — and described Mr. Trump as “downcast” and misguided in his efforts to claim the election was a fraud. The Sun, Mr. Murdoch’s outpost in London, reached new heights of Fleet Street ingenuity by comparing the president’s defeated visage to a crumple of skin on the actress Famke Janssen’s kneecap.

The Wall Street Journal, which had rejected The Post’s attack on Hunter Biden, has dismissed Mr. Trump’s fraud claims, and its conservative opinion page is nudging the president toward a gracious concession. Fox News — home to “Hannity” and “Fox & Friends,” instigators and nurturers of Mr. Trump’s rise — refused to retract an election night projection of a Biden win in Arizona despite intense pressure from Mr. Trump’s aides, who reached Mr. Murdoch in England to plead their case.

And yet, just as a Murdoch-Trump divorce appeared to be underway, Fox News’s prime-time stars — who have operated more

or less on their own since the exit of the network's co-founder Roger Ailes — have embraced parts of Mr. Trump’s sully-the-results strategy, even knocking colleagues who have portrayed Mr. Biden, accurately, as the election’s victor.

“Many people have not called Arizona,” Sean Hannity told viewers on his Monday night show, before lobbing a dagger at the Fox News decision desk: “Those that called early made a huge mistake.” Mark Levin, a right-wing radio star with a weekend Fox News show, attacked the “Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace for calling Mr. Biden the clear winner. And Tucker Carlson took a not-so-veiled swipe on Monday at his Fox News colleague Neil Cavuto, who had won the hosannas of Liberal Twitter by cutting off an appearance by Mr. Trump’s press secretary and saying he could not in good conscience broadcast her fictive claims about voter fraud. “In a democracy, you cannot ignore honest questions from citizens,” Mr. Carlson said. “You can’t just cut away from coverage you don’t like.”

Efforts to understand Mr. Murdoch’s media universe are often compared to Kremlinology. But former and current associates of Mr. Murdoch said that his response to Mr. Trump’s loss could be summed up by another Cold War term: realpolitik.

“He will do as he has done in other cases, which is adapt to a new reality,” said one former consigliere, who like others interviewed for this article requested anonymity to speak candidly about a man who values discretion.

Mr. Murdoch, who has presided over newspapers and television networks for more than 50 years, knows that opportunity awaits no matter who is temporarily in power: Some of Fox News’s highest ratings and profits came during the Obama administration, when the network was a gathering spot for dismayed conservatives, the same phenomenon that fueled MSNBC’s success with liberals in the Trump age.

“Fox News Channel has been on the air since 1996,” said Christopher Balfe, a right-

wing media impresario who has developed digital ventures for conservative stars, including the former Fox News host Megyn Kelly. “They’ve been around for multiple presidents and they’re going to be around for multiple more.”

Fox News reached new heights of influence in the Trump era — it was the highest rated network in all of prime-time television this past summer — but it’s easy to forget it was the No. 1 cable news channel long before the New York real estate developer rode an escalator to the political stage. Many Fox News employees believe the network’s ratings are likely to surge again as an antiBiden audience seeks succor.“They don’t tend to back losers,” one longtime Murdoch lieutenant observed of the family.

To that point, Mr. Murdoch’s publicists — who declined to comment for this article — conspicuously confirmed rumors last month that the mogul did not expect Mr. Trump to recapture the presidency.

And several people who have worked with Mr. Murdoch said he harbored no malice toward Mr. Biden and had even expressed some admiration of the former vice president on occasion.

It would not be the first time Mr. Murdoch has stayed loose to maintain influence with whoever comes into power. In England, he became an ally of the Labour prime minister Tony Blair, despite years of backing Tory rule. The Biden administration is likely to handle regulatory disputes that could affect Mr. Murdoch’s domestic assets, which include sports and entertainment networks as well as Fox News, The Journal, and The Post.

Last week, Fox News was upfront with viewers about Mr. Trump’s poor chances, standing behind its Decision Desk call in Arizona and, on Saturday, trumpeting the network’s projection that Mr. Biden would be the 46th president.

But the recent hesitation of Senator Mitch McConnell and other Republican leaders to acknowledge Mr. Biden’s victory may have complicated the equation for the network’s opinion stars, who are

The McCarrick report must be the Catholic Church’s #MeToo moment THE VATICAN THIS WEEK ISSUED A REPORT ABOUT HOW THE CHURCH DISREGARDED WARNINGS ABOUT FORMER CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK

l A tiMeS MICHAEL MCGOUGH

The Vatican this week released an eye-popping report documenting how Theodore McCarrick, the defrocked former cardinal archbishop of Washington, D.C., ascended in the church hierarchy despite warnings that he had sexually harassed young seminarians.

The report, released by the Vatican secretary of state’s office, assigns primary responsibility for McCarrick’s advancement to Pope John Paul II, a favorite of Catholic conservatives, and essentially exonerates the current pope, Francis.

It discredits the suggestion by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a retired Vatican diplomat, that Francis had relaxed “sanctions” imposed by now retired Pope Benedict XVI. (Vigano also accused Francis of being close to a “homosexual current” in the church.)

In assessing blame for the rise of McCarrick, a prodigious fundraiser, the report confirms much that was already obvious from decades of scandal over the church’s cover-up of sexual abuse of minors. When confronted with suspicious behavior or even specific evidence, church authorities

turned a blind eye or gave accused clerics the benefit of the doubt.

On Wednesday Pope Francis said that “I renew my closeness to victims of any abuse and commitment of the church to eradicate this evil.” It’s unclear, however, whether the McCarrick investigation will be an inflection point in the church’s newfound commitment to confronting sexual abuse by the clergy and abandoning a culture of cover-up.

In the aftermath of the McCarrick investigation, liberal and conservative Catholics probably will continue to refract the issue of clerical sexual abuse through their respective partisan lenses. Liberals will link the problem to mandatory celibacy for priests; conservatives will complain about a gay subculture in the clergy.

But there is one arguably new takeaway from the report: that the church is belatedly realizing that sexual abuse of children and adolescents, horrific as it obviously is, isn’t the only form of sexual predation by priests.

The report does discuss some accusations about McCarrick and pedophilia, and includes excerpts from interviews with a woman who in the 1980s sent anonymous letters to church leaders about a threat to children posed by McCarrick. (In the interviews cited in the report, she said that she had seen McCarrick massaging the thighs of her teenage sons, but the letters were apparently less specific.)

But when John Paul II decided to appoint McCarrick archbishop of Washington in 2000, the accusations against McCarrick

confidentially being discussed by church leaders mostly involved his alleged relationships with seminarians and other young men (including sharing a bed with them) and with a fellow priest.

Things changed in 2018 when an investigation by the Archdiocese of New York found credible allegations that McCarrick had sexually abused a teenage altar boy 47 years before while serving as a priest in New York. Pope Francis removed McCarrick from ministry.

So once the church was confronted with a specific and credible claim that McCarrick had abused a minor, it acted — and rightly so. But the report leaves the strong impression that allegations of exploiting young adults weren’t treated with the same seriousness.

That’s wrong. As the Los Angeles Times said in an editorial last year: “It’s increasingly clear that abuse of minors is only one dimension of the crisis” of clerical sexual abuse. Another is the phenomenon, painfully familiar in secular society, of powerful men taking sexual advantage of subordinates, whether they be seminarians or nuns. The McCarrick report should launch the Catholic Church’s own #MeToo movement.

Michael McGough is the Los Angeles Times’ senior editorial writer, based in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of Allegheny College and also attended the University of Kent at Canterbury in England and Yale Law School, where he received a master of studies in law degree.

loath to end up on the liberal side of the mainstream conservative line.Some primetime personnel, protective of their ratings success, were unnerved after seeing some viewers turn against the network after the Arizona call; one group of protesters chanted “Fox News sucks!” outside a tabulation center in Phoenix.

On Monday, Mr. Hannity and Mr. Carlson stoked Mr. Trump’s shadowy narrative of a suspicious election. “The Washington swamp, Joe Biden, all desperate, they want to just call it a day and stop you from asking legitimate, tough questions about the elec-

tion,” Mr. Hannity thundered to viewers.

The president seemed to approve: On Tuesday, he urged his Twitter followers to watch Mr. Hannity’s program, promising “Ballot Corruption will be exposed tonight.”

It was his first positive reference to Fox News since Election Day. Still, Mr. Hannity has left himself options: His criticism of Democrats and the “swamp” is a familiar line of Fox News at-

tack that can be easily adapted to a Biden presidency. And Mr. Carlson stopped short of uttering what Mr. Trump would most like to hear: that he was the true victor last Tuesday.

“If, after all the questions have been answered, it becomes clear that Joe Biden is the legitimate winner of the presidential election, we will accept that and will encourage others to accept it, too,” Mr. Carlson said.

Last week, Laura Ingraham, who attended Mr. Trump’s election night appearance at the White House, even floated the possibility of “an unfavorable outcome in this election”— the sort of acknowledgment of an unwelcome reality that Mr. Trump abhors. “If and when that does happen,” Ms. Ingraham counseled, Mr. Trump ought to concede with “grace and composure.” It was a pep talk for the Audience of One. Few expect a wholesale shift in the Murdoch ideology. Mr. Carlson has met frequently in Los Angeles with Mr. Murdoch’s son Lachlan, who is now executive chairman of Fox News’s parent company. Lachlan Murdoch has backed Mr. Carlson despite an ongoing advertiser boycott and multiple uproars over the host’s incendiary remarks.

The prospect of Mr. Trump starting his own media platform as a competitor to Fox News is often cited as a reason for Rupert Murdoch to keep the president close. But there are myriad hurdles before such a venture could get off the ground.

Mr. Trump, a connoisseur of traditional media, may balk at the sort of online-only service that the former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly pursued. Fox News is available in far more households than One America News, a right-wing network often cited as a potential vessel for Trump TV. Cable providers like Comcast and Spectrum would need to agree to carry a new Trump-oriented network, and regulations make it difficult for existing channels to abruptly change formats.

Fox News, meanwhile, just notched its highest-rated week in prime time since the channel began.“I don’t think there’s a fear among conservative media,” said Mr. Balfe, the right-wing media consultant, “that Biden winning is going to hurt.”

Michael M. Grynbaum is a media correspondent covering the intersection of business, culture and politics.

Iran expects US to return to nuclear deal without conditions “WE ARE NEITHER TERRIFIED OF TRUMP STAYING NOR EXCITED FOR BIDEN’S ARRIVAL” Al-Monitor StAff President Hassan Rouhani said that he believes the era of maximum pressure on Iran is over.“There are signs from America to Europe that show the world has understood that maximum pressure will not yield results, and it is coming to an end,” Rouhani said, speaking via videoconference to mark the inauguration of several national projects. The term "maximum pressure" has been used to describe US policy toward Iran. The Trump administration exited the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and reapplied US sanctions on Iran. The goal, according to the Trump administration, was to have Iran sign a new agreement and also comply with a list of 12 demands, which included different issues such as Iran’s missile program and foreign policy.

Reentry into the nuclear deal will not be easy. There will be immense pressure on the future Biden administration to use the leverage of sanctions to request more from Iran.

Given the number of crises that the incoming administration will be dealing with, it makes sense that they will not be eager to use too much political capital on the issue. As a result of the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reapplication of sanctions, Iran reduced its commitments to the JCPOA. Iran has

said it is open to re-entering the deal if the United States drops the nuclearrelated sanctions.

Ali Rabiei, spokesman for the Rouhani administration, said that Iran expects the United States to return to the nuclear deal without new conditions. “Our clear expectation from the new officials in the White House is the return to previous commitments without conditions,” Rabiei said. He added that the first step would be “the removal of sanctions.”

He has also previously discussed the United States compensating Iran for the damages it has endured during this time. Due to US sanctions, Iran has had a hard time selling its oil and has lost considerable revenue.

While Rouhani and his administration are touting the loss of Donald Trump as a sign that the maximum pressure campaign did not work, other conservatives have been more subdued in their reaction. Kayhan newspaper, whose editor is chosen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office, wrote in its headline, “We are neither terrified of Trump staying nor excited for Biden’s arrival.” The comment was based on the statement made by Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was involved in the nuclear talks. Araghchi was likely trying to temper some of the expectations given the number of hurdles standing between the United States and Iran.

Sunday, 15 November, 2020

BUSINESS 09

HammaD azHar vowS Tax cuTS for BuSInESSES To SPur EconomIc growTH

corporate corner

LAHORE

f

LAHORE: The ‘Two-Day Organic Market’ at Mall of Lahore continued successfully for the second day, with a wide range of pure and healthy products and much more. PreSS reLeASe

Punjab govt likely to appoint Dr Erfa Iqbal as PBIT chief LAHORE HASSAN NAQVI

The Punjab government is mulling over the appointment of Dr Erfa Iqbal, a grade 20 officer from the federal Inland Revenue Service (IRS) department, to the post the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) chief executive officer (CEO), a position which has been lying vacant since July this year, Profit learnt on Saturday. The position has been vacant for the last four months and has not been advertised since former CEO Jahanzeb Bhurana, an expert hired from the private sector, completed his term in July. Sources privy to the development told this scribe that the provincial government is all set to appoint a civil servant instead of giving preference to private sector experts, ignoring some extremely competent and globally qualified Pakistanis seeking this important portfolio. “The candidate being considered was also a blue-eyed officer of former Punjab chief minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif in the previous government’s setup, thus further complicating the direction that the existing government wishes to take,” they said. They opined that instead of posting a bureaucrat to the position on deputation, the government should appoint someone from the private sector who is sure to bring in Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) to increase the country’s trade as PBIT is the most critical institution in bringing foreign investments.

“Whoever fills the position should come with the guarantee of bringing investment and trade to the province instead of someone,” sources said, claiming that Dr Erfa did not have any interest in the PITB’s work. However, other sources from the provincial setup told Profit that Dr Erfa Iqbal has previously worked as a commercial counsellor in China and she enjoys a good working relationship with the Chinese government and officials. “Her appointment would ease and strengthen the working relationship of Pakistan and China for ongoing China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects,” they added. Moreover, one of her colleagues, who had worked with her in FBR, told Profit that she is the right candidate as she has the experience and knowledge to fill in this slot. “Dr Erfa Iqbal’s appointment will strengthen Pakistan’s ties with China and she could bring FDI from China and other countries as she had developed trade ties with them while working as a commercial counsellor.” Presently, Captain (r) Muhammad Zafar Iqbal is serving as the acting CEO of PBIT, who is from Pakistan’s Administrative Services (PAS) and recently served as Industries, Commerce, Investment & Skills Development secretary from September 16, 2019, till November 2, 2020.

STAFF rePOrT

EDERAL Minister for Industries and Production Hamad Azhar has said that taxes on businesses will be reduced in order to expedite the process of economic growth. Addressing the traders at the Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the federal minister expressed optimism over Pakistan’s economy showing a positive trend.

“Due to Covid-19, the world economy shrank by 4.5pc while India’s economy contracted more than 10pc; however, Pakistan’s economy has performed well. The government paid electricity bills of 300,000 traders for three months during lockdowns due to the pandemic. Thirteen special economic zones (SEZs) are being set up in Punjab while existing zones are being improved for five sectors. The zero-rated facility has already been phased out and will now be extended

directly to exports,” he said.

Azhar noted that the industrial sector was playing a key role in economic growth. “Industry components grew by 7.5pc in September, while consumption of cement and urea fertilisers is currently at historic levels.”

He said sales in the automobile sector were also up 43pc this year compared to last year. The government inherited the current account deficit, inclusion in FATF’s grey list and many other issues, but the situation was now changing, he added.

Azhar also announced that chambers and associations will be taken into confidence for skill development, adding that the prime minister has set up a National Coordination Committee (NCC) for the facilitation of SMEs.” Speaking on the occasion, LCCI President Mian Tariq Misbah welcomed the government’s decision to provide electricity relief packages to SMEs, saying that this would help in the development of these industries.

“Solid policies made by the government are to

SHC issues stay order against reduction in pilots’ salaries, flying hours KARACHI STAFF rePOrT

The Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association (PALPA) has taken a stay order from the Sindh High Court (SHC) against reduction in pilots’ salaries as well as guaranteed flying hours.

The SHC on Saturday issued an interim order restricting Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from taking any adverse action against the association.

It is to be noted that the association had filed a suit in the SHC against two of PIA’s admin orders for a permanent injunction against PIA and its chief human resource officer (CHRO).

According to this order, the national flag carrier’s management has been directed to stay within the ambit of Pakistan International Airline Corporation Limited (PIACL) Conversion Act 2016 which states that “the salaries, emoluments and all other terms of service of employees, whether permanent or contractual, shall not be changed to their disadvantage…”

PALPA President Captain Salman Riaz said that the said PIA admin orders are an attempt to drastically change the established fixed salary structure of pilots of the national airline and also to cut down their sanctioned off days.

Besides, he added, the said admin orders are also an attempt to introduce new punitive actions for safety violations, which is in violation of the es-

tablished good practices of International Civil Aviation Authority as well as introducing vague, unsafe and detrimental conditions of service.

Moreover, he alleged, the 48th Board Meeting of the national airline (in which these decisions were taken) on August 5th this year was illegal.

“The tenure of PIACL Board expired on June 6th. The federal government later extended the tenure of the PIACL Board from June 7th to August 6th.

“The board in this meeting decided to review all qualification, trade, and assignment-related allowances of employees and authorised the CEO to decide rationalisation, curtailment, the applicability of all such allowances,” said Riaz.

Hence, he added, the management issued admin orders changing guaranteed flying allowance of 75 hours and 10 days off to 50 hours and five days off with effect from October 1st.

The admin orders also altered certain facilities to pilots regarding privilege leave, unauthorised absence/leave, and flying allowance in relation to a safety violation.

“All these decisions under the said admin orders are a clear violation of Section 3(6) of the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Act, 2016,” said Riaz. The PALPA president said that the previous committee of the association gave powers to the new committee to decide about salaries, so “we have to take a decision in the best interest of pilots”.

LHC moved for making airbags mandatory in vehicles LAHORE: A writ petition seeking amendments in Automotive Development Policy (ADP) 2016-2021, for making airbags mandatory in each and every vehicle has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The petitioner made different federal government departments and major vehicle brands as respondents in the case. He implored the court that fatal accidents can be prevented with the use of airbags in vehicles, stressing that the restraint system is the need of the time for protecting citizens. “The government has given guidelines on the subject matter by way of ADP but airbags are not mandatory in the whole policy (ADP 2016-2021). Therefore, the policy must be revised, amended or reframed by inserting a clause to make airbags mandatory in all vehicles,” the petition states. TLTP

be credited with the economy’s resumption. In 201920, the growth rate of large scale manufacturing sector was negative 7.78pc but has shown a positive growth of 4.8pc in the first quarter of the current financial year (Q1FY21).

Misbah appreciated the introduction of a mobile device manufacturing policy by the Ministry of Industries and Production and suggested that the government also introduce a simple leasing policy that allows existing and new industrial estates to accommodate longterm leases as land prices in industrial areas have risen sharply, affecting the process of industrial expansion.

He also said that gas tariffs must be kept at an affordable level to ensure that industries keep running smoothly.

“We are getting reports that the government is planning to increase gas tariffs for industries, if this is done, the cost of production will increase, so gas tariffs should be kept at a reasonable level so that industries are not affected,” he said.

Slight decrease in weekly inflation ISLAMABAD APP

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation for the week ended November 12 witnessed nominal decrease of 0.07pc as compared to the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the combined consumption group was recorded at 142.71 points against 142.81 points registered in the previous week, according to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group during the week under review witnessed an increase of 7.68pc. The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16 covers 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. The SPI for the lowest consumption group, up to Rs17,732, witnessed 0.32pc decrease. from 150.84 points in the last week to 150.35 points during the week under review. Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,732Rs22,888, Rs22,889-Rs29,517; Rs29,518-Rs44,175; Rs29,518-Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 per month also decreased by 0.33pc, 0.16pc, 0.01pc and 0.07pc, respectively. During the week, prices of 11 items decreased, 18 items increased while that of 22 items remained unchanged. The items that recorded a decrease in their average prices included electricity charges, tomatoes, moong pulse, gur, garlic, gram pulse, onions, wheat flour, mutton, masoor pulse and rice (Irri 6/9). On the other hand, the commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices included chicken, bananas, matchbox, cooked beef, cooked daal, sugar, potatoes, georgette, mustard oil, mash pulse, washing soap, eggs, LPG cylinder, vegetable ghee, curd, firewood, milk (powdered) and beef. Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change during the week under review included rice (basmati broken), bread, milk (fresh), cooking oil, vegetable ghee, salt, chillies, tea (packet) tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, gents sandal, ladies sandal, gas charges, energy saver, petrol, diesel, telephone call and toilet soap.

According to PBS analysis, the nominal decrease in weekly inflation was mainly due to a fall in prices of food items including tomatoes (2.75pc), pulse moong (1.42pc), gur (1.15pc), garlic (1.00pc), pulse gram (0.98pc), onions (0.59pc), wheat flour (0.47pc), mutton (0.31pc), pulse masoor (0.26pc) and rice Irri 6/9 (0.17pc).

Heavy outstanding dues likely to choke up power sector, FPCCI warns ISLAMABAD STAFF rePOrT

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has warned that the power sector is likely to choke up due to heavy outstanding dues, urging the government to take immediate measures in this regard.

In a written statement issued on Saturday, FPCCI President Mian Anjum Nisar said that the power sector circular debt issue should be resolved holistically without escalating electricity cost, as its size has doubled during the last two years in spite of raising the power tariff multiple times in the past.

Referring to the Ministry of Energy’s audit report, he said that circular debt was Rs1,415 billion in 2018, which jumped to Rs2,150 billion in June 2019-20, while it skyrocketed by Rs116bn in the first quarter of 2020-21 to an astounding amount of around Rs2,266bn.

The FPCCI president called for power sector reforms, an end to overbilling, technical losses, transmission issues, a proposal on decentralisation of the sector,

promotion of off-grid solutions, incentives for renewable energy solutions and capacity payments to the independent power producers.

He said that power sector reforms could include closing down inefficient Independent Power Producers (IPPs), re-negotiations with IPPs, bringing reforms in govt-owned power plants, improving efficiency and reducing costs of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) plants, besides shifting the agriculture tube wells in Balochistan to solar technology to reduce costs.

“We have to resolve the issue by revamping the entire power sector, including tariff setting, efficiencies of power generating units, supply chain network and payment recoveries,” he said, further stressing that the future of the energy sector would remain at stake if this is not done.

The FPCCI president further warned of any move to levy circular debt tax or increase in power tariff to pay off this debt.

He said that the business community has been calling for much needed reforms in the power sector to control pilferage, line losses and to stop corrupt practices.

He said that the government had pledged to revamp the power sector and continued to raise electricity prices to eliminate subsidies but failed to implement reforms to make the power sector efficient.

“The circular debt issue would be resolved today if the government had eliminated production, transmission and distribution losses; checked electricity theft and recovered the outstanding electricity dues.”

Mian Anjum also said that growing circular debt in the power sector is a continued threat for the government’s recent decision to slash the power tariff for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“The trend of increasing tariffs to control circular debt has failed,” he argued, calling for taking drastic measures and adopting a holistic approach in tackling problems in the sector to address power consumers’ vulnerability.

He opined that issue of circular debt will continue to haunt Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s resolve of reducing the cost of doing business, eliminating peak-hour charges from the industrial power tariff and discounting the consumption of additional units for B1, B2 B3 connections.

CMYK

Sunday, 15 November, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

Thai Pro-democracy ProTeSTerS ScaLe BaNGkok moNUmeNT BANGKOK

T

AGENCIES

HAI pro-democracy protesters scaled a Bangkok monument Saturday night to unfurl a giant banner scribbled with anti-government slogans and calls to reform the monarchy.

The kingdom has for months seen massive student-led demonstrations calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha who rose to power in a 2014 coup as well as a new constitution and changes to how the royal family operates.

A crowd of several thousand turned out for a carnival-themed rally dubbed "Mob Fest" at the Democracy Monument, a major intersection in Bangkok.

In the afternoon, high school students and other pro-democracy demonstrators wrote in marker pens and spray-painted messages on giant white sheets.

"You have been stealing my bright future," one message said. "Democracy will win."

Bangkok graphic designer Pearl, 25,

watched as a group of protesters used ladders to climb up the three-metre (nine-foot) high central turret of the Democracy Monument, as musicians played a drum beat.

"This is a symbolic act of free speech," she told AFP. Protesters sang a Thai version of Les

Protesters in ex-Soviet Georgia demand snap polls TBILISI AGENCIES

Thousands of anti-government demonstrators rallied in the capital of ex-Soviet Georgia on Saturday demanding snap polls after the opposition said parliament elections two weeks ago were marred by fraud. The ruling Georgian Dream party led by the country's richest man and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili narrowly won the October 31 poll that opposition parties denounced as rigged. Opposition parties have refused to enter the new parliament in a boycott that has undermined the ruling party's legitimacy. In an unprecedented show of unity before the vote, the main opposition party, exiled former president Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM), agreed with smaller opposition groups to form a coalition government if elected. Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside parliament on Saturday promising to keep up the protest movement until new elections are called. Georgia Dream has rejected the demand insisting the vote was free and fair. "We will continue protests until our demand is met," Nika Melia, an UNM leader, told the crowd, saying the October ballot was "stolen."

Forty-year-old baker Nukri Archvadze told AFP at the protest that, "Ivanishvili and his Georgian Dream have staged a coup by rigging the elections." "They must call a fresh vote and leave power." Last Sunday, 45,000 protesters rallied outside parliament before marching towards the central election commission headquarters, threatening to blockade its entrances. Riot police dispersed the protesters in the early hours of Monday with firing water cannon leaving several people injured.

The electoral commission has yet to confirm provisional results that showed Georgian Dream won 48 percent of the votes against 46 percent for opposition parties, in a proportional ballot that decides 120 of the legislature's 150 seats. Owing to Georgia's complex electoral system, the parliament's final makeup might only become clear in late November. In power since 2012, Georgian Dream has seen its popularity fall due to discontent over its failure to address economic stagnation and perceived backsliding on commitments to democracy. Critics accuse the country's richest man Ivanishvili -- who is widely seen to be calling the shots in Georgia -- of persecuting political opponents and creating a corrupt system where private interests permeate politics.

Miserables "Do You Hear the People Sing?" and the crowd raised their hands in three-finger salutes -- a pop culture reference to the "Hunger Games" movies.

Earlier they turned their backs and did the same gesture as the royal motorcade drove past.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida were en route to open a new train line elsewhere in the city -- with thousands of royalist supporters wearing yellow turning out to show support.

In the afternoon angry high school students calling themselves the Bad Student movement rallied outside the Thailand education ministry before marching to join the main rally.

They want Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan to resign and staged a fake funeral for him.

"He has failed to reform the education system so he is dead to us," Anna 15, told AFP, as she put flowers into a wooden coffin, next to a picture of the minister.

The students are calling for an overhaul of the school system, curriculum, strict rules, dress codes and standardised haircuts.

Thai authorities deployed 8,000 police to patrol Saturday's protest, which is expected to go until midnight.

Police used water cannon against demonstrators at a rally last Sunday. It was only the second time such tactics were used.

Iran to tighten Covid restrictions next Saturday: Rouhani Iran will impose stricter restrictions from next Saturday, President Hassan Rouhani said on state television, as the Middle East country hardest hit by the virus battles a third wave of Covid-19. The toughest measures - classified by health officials as “red” or level 3 - will be imposed in the capital Tehran and about 100 other towns and cities.

Non-essential businesses and services will be shut and cars will not be allowed to leave or enter, Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said in a televised media briefing.

Iranian health officials have de-

vised a colour-coding system that denotes the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

“The goal is not to shut down people’s businesses, but we have to set limits,” Raisi said.

Some 150 towns and cities are rated “orange” or level 2, he said.

In these, one-third of employees can go to work whereas in 155 towns where the rating is “yellow” or level 1 two-thirds of the workforce can work from their workplaces.

“Shutdowns are not limited to jobs, but also include universities, schools and training centres,” Rouhani

said. “In the red and orange cities, training will take place remotely.”

Iran reported 452 Covid-19 deaths over the past 24 hours to tale its total to 41,034, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV on Saturday, while its total cases rose by 11,203 to 749,525.

Senior ministry official Iraj Harirchi warned the number of infected and fatalities will double in the coming two weeks. The government on Tuesday imposed restrictions for one month in major cities requiring all non-essential businesses to close at 6 p.m. AGENCIES

Polisario says new fighting in Western Sahara ALGIERS AGENCIES

The pro-independence Polisario Front said Saturday that clashes are continuing in the disputed Western Sahara after the Moroccan army launched an operation in the buffer zone on its southern border.

"Fighting is continuing after the crime committed by Moroccan troops in Guerguerat," senior Polisario official Mohamed Salem Ould Salek told AFP. The ceasefire supervised by the United Nations since 1991 is a "thing of the past", added Ould Salek, who serves as foreign minister of the Polisario-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

On Friday, Morocco announced that its troops had launched an operation to reopen the final section of the highway through Western Sahara to Mauritania by extending its network of defensive walls.

Dozens of truck drivers have been stranded for

days at Guerguerat, the last Moroccan-held stop before the road enters a buffer zone along the border where the Polisario has maintained a periodic presence.

A communique issued by the SADR defence ministry late Friday said Sahrawi forces had carried out "massive attacks" during the afternoon at multiple points along Morocco's 2,700 kilometre (1,700 mile) long defensive wall.

It said they had inflicted "human and material damage on the enemy" but did not elaborate.

There was no immediate independent verification of the defence ministry's claim.

For its part, the Moroccan army general staff declared late Friday that "the Guerguerat crossing between Morocco and Mauritania has now been fully made safe by the installation of a security cordon by the Royal Armed Forces."

It made no mention of any attacks elsewhere along its desert wall.

Thousands flee as Typhoon Vamco nears Vietnam HANOI AGENCIES

Thousands of people fled their homes in Vietnam on Saturday as Typhoon Vamco barrelled towards central regions already pummelled by weeks of successive storms.

Airports have been shut, beaches closed, and a fishing ban put in place as the country braces for winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour (60 miles per hour) when the typhoon makes landfall on Sunday, likely close to Hue. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in four central provinces, according to the disaster management authority, while state media said hundreds of thousands more may have to flee. “This is a very strong typhoon,” Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said, warning provinces in Vamco’s projected path to prepare for its impact. A series of storms have hit central Vietnam over the past six weeks, causing flooding and landslides that have killed at least 159 people, authorities said, while 70 others are missing.

The severe weather has also damaged or destroyed more than 400,000 homes, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Roads and bridges have been washed away, power supplies disrupted, and crucial food crops destroyed, leaving at least 150,000 people at immediate risk of food shortages, it added. “There has been no respite for more than eight million people living in central Vietnam,” said Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu, Vietnam Red Cross Society president. “Each time they start rebuilding their lives and livelihoods, they are pummeled by yet another storm.”

Libya election in 2021 to unify country, hopes UN NEW YORK TLTP

Libyan voters will go to the polls on 24 December 2021 to elect a president and parliamentarians, under the terms of a deal reached at United Nations-brokered peace talks in Tunisia. The UN’s acting special envoy to the North African country, Stephanie Williams, hailed the talks as a “breakthrough” moment in efforts to end years of fighting between rival administrations. “Reaching elections requires a new executive to unify the country,” Ms Williams told media. “This requires the establishment of a reformed presidency council and an effective and unified government of national unity." The UN will support the planning and organisation of the elections, which will be held next December on the 70th anniversary of Libya’s Declaration of Independence, said Ms Williams. Rival factions met in Tunis on Monday for six days of talks aimed at ending the war between the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and Khalifa Haftar’s eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA). The so-called Libyan Political Dialogue Forum involving 75 interlocutors has focused on implementing a transitional government across the country of nearly 7 million people. Military envoys from both sides have also met this week in the central Libyan coastal city of Sirte, the dividing line between the two forces, for concurrent talks. Previous diplomatic attempts to end the conflict have failed, but an agreement for a permanent ceasefire reached in Geneva on October 23, coupled with heavy international pressure, added impetus to the latest talks.

Trump may resign to get presidential pardon from Pence WASHINGTON AGENCIES

US President Donald Trump may resign before completion of his four-year tenure.

According to media reports, Trump will issue pardons to his immediate family and whoever else he may feel a residual loyalty to. Trump has been told by his attorneys that he has no option to pardon himself. The worst case for Trump, both legally and politically, is that he tries to pardon himself, creates a wave of national outrage, and his pardon of himself is overturned by the courts. So Trump will resign from the presidency before his term officially ends, and he will be pardoned by Vice President Pence, when Pence becomes president.

A presidential pardon by Pence would not offer protection from cases originating in states, but those cases will be far more manageable if they are not sunk into a morass of federal cases that only a federal pardon can protect him from.

According to the report, Trump can reap extravagant financial rewards from the mother of all business deals which he could conclude shortly after he leaves office.

Meanwhile, Trump for the first time began to sound doubtful about his election prospects, telling reporters “time will tell” who occupies the White House from January 20 as he has made little headway in the courts with lawsuits.

Trump briefly appeared close to acknowledging the likelihood he will be leav-

ing the White House in January during remarks at a White House event.

“This administration will not be going to a lockdown. Hopefully the, uh, whatever happens in the future – who knows which administration it will be? I guess time will tell,” Trump said in his first public remarks since Biden was projected as the election’s winner a week ago.

Trump’s supporters took to the streets on Saturday to back his unsubstantiated claims of election fraud as he pushes ahead with a flurry of long-shot legal challenges to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.

Biden further solidified his victory on Friday as results from Edison Research showed him winning Georgia, giving him a final tally of 306 Electoral College votes, far

more than the 270 needed to be elected president and above Trump’s 232.

The 306 votes were equal to what Trump won in his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton, which he then called a “landslide”.

In the near term, Trump is expected to campaign for Republican candidates in Georgia ahead of two January 5 runoff elections that will determine which party controls the US Senate.

There have been other pro-Trump protests around the country since Biden was projected the winner on November 7, but they have been small and unfolded with few incidents.

The pro-Trump demonstrations in Washington and other cities are scheduled to feature a mix of the president’s backers, far-right personalities and members of the

Oath Keepers militia and Proud Boys in a public display of support for his effort to stay in power.

Organisers have given the rallies various names, including the Million MAGA March, the March for Trump and Stop the Steal.

MAGA is an acronym for the Trump campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”

Trump has tweeted his support.

Some left-wing groups are planning counter-demonstrations in Washington and other cities.

Trump has refused to concede to Biden and claims without evidence that he was cheated by widespread election fraud. State election officials report no serious irregularities, and several of his legal challenges have failed in court

Sunday, 15 November, 2020

SporTS 11

Players pay homage to Dean Jones ahead of PSL 2020 qualifier

BABAr, AMir PuT KArAChi in PSL FinAL AFTer DrAMATiC SuPer Over

K

NEWS DESK Pakistan Super League (PSL) kicked off its play-offs’ stage on Saturday with a tribute to Karachi Kings’ head coach Dean Jones, who passed away in September earlier this year.

Before the match began, officials and players honoured the Australian with a minute-long silence while the screen read ‘Forever in our hearts, Deano!” The players of Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans also stood in the shape of a ‘D’ to pay their respects.

Jones was an Australian cricketer turned coach, involved with PSL in all of its five editions. The 59-year-old was serving

Karachi Kings as their head coach this year while he spent most of his time in PSL with Islamabad United; whom he served as a coach and mentor for the first four seasons.

Wasim Akram has replaced Jones as Karachi King’s coach for the play-offs stage.

Remembering his friend, the left-arm pacer shared a picture of the departed soul sporting a Karachi Kings’ blue cap on his Twitter and wrote, “You were meant to be here with us today but unfortunately life had other plans. I know nothing could keep you away from your boys and where ever you are you will be watching & cheering us on.

This ones for you @ProfDeanoI hope we make you proud!”

AC Milan coach Pioli tests positive for Covid-19

Bale won't be put at risk, says Wales caretaker boss Page

MILAN

LONDON

AGENCIES

AGENCIES

AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli has tested positive for Covid-19, the Serie A leaders said in a statement on Saturday. Milan said the 55-year-old was showing no symptoms, was in quarantine at home and that Saturday’s training session had been cancelled. “All other tests carried out by the squad and staff came back negative,” it added. “Training ahead of the match with Napoli will resume on Monday, subject to the checks set out in the (Italian federation) protocol.” A number of Milan’s squad are currently away with their respective national teams during the international break. Several Milan players have previously tested positive and subsequently recovered including goalkeeper Gianluca Donnarumma and forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Still unbeaten in the league, Milan lead with 17 points from seven games and face Napoli on Nov 22.

Wales caretaker manager Robert Page insists Gareth Bale's fitness won't be put at risk after Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho expressed concern over the forward's international workload. Wales meet the Republic of Ireland in Cardiff on Sunday and face Finland on Wednesday, with Bale expected to start both games as Wales chase promotion in the Nations League. Mourinho recently warned Wales to tread carefully with Bale's fitness following the knee injury that delayed his Tottenham debut after his loan move from Real Madrid. "We don't want to destroy the work everybody is doing for the last couple of months," Mourinho said. But Page, standing in for absent Wales manager Ryan Giggs, doesn't believe burnout will be an issue. "We've all got a job to do, we all want to win games of football," he said on Saturday.

NEWS DESK

ARACHI Kings have qualified for their first-ever PSL final, thanks to a thrilling victory over Multan Sultans in Qualifier at the National Stadium that needed a Super Over to find the winner.

Winning the toss, Karachi opted to bowl, with the decision paying dividends almost from the outset. Wickets fell swiftly, with Adam Lyth dismissed early and a couple of run-outs, one brilliant, one farcical, further strengthening Karachi's position.

Multan's mini-recovery from 40 for 4 to set Karachi 142 to win - thanks to cameos from Ravi Bopara (40) and Sohail Tanvir (25*) - ensured there was still life in the game.

But Karachi had Babar, who's scintillating form, combined with support from Alex Hales at the other end, appeared to be guiding them to a straightforward win. But, as happens in this format so often, Babar failed to close it out, and when he edged behind in the 17th over, panic suddenly set in for Karachi, who were a batsman light.

Four wickets fell for six runs, with veteran Tanvir turning in an outstanding bowling spell. Multan seemed to be closing in on a stunning win, before a priceless little knock from Imad Wasim, capped off with a boundary off the last ball to send the game to the Super Over, allowed Karachi a lifeline, which Amir gleefully accepted.

STAR OF THE DAY: Snubbed by Pakistan and with his international career in limbo, Amir responded in the most befitting way to show Pakistan what they might be missing. He might not have picked up any wickets with the ball, but one of the run-outs he effected was responsible for altering the course of the Multan innings. When Zeeshan Haider slapped him back down the ground, Amir had the presence of mind to stretch his toe so it made contact with the ball before cannoning into the non-striker's stumps, leaving Masood stranded.

In the Super Over, he put on a magnificent exhibition of death bowling, nailing

the yorker ball after ball to Rilee Rossouw, who simply couldn't find a way to get underneath one. Only six runs came off the bat, with Multan never allowed the faintest chance to threaten the target. It was Amir at his match-winning best.

TURNING POINT: Chasing all those below-par targets against Zimbabwe in the T20 series looks to have been decent practice for Babar. The 141 Multan put up didn't look enough for a pitch that was very conducive to batting, and just as Babar had punished Zimbabwe for failing to rack up the runs, he didn't spare Multan either. Easing, with characteristic inevitability to his fifth consecutive halfcentury, he extended his lead at the top of the PSL run charts with 65 off 53. But once again, he will rue failing to finish the game off, and it nearly cost him until Wasim bailed him out at the death. A canter suddenly turned into a nail-biter, and

Wriddhiman Saha will be fit for Australia Tests: Ganguly NEW DELHI AGENCIES

Indian cricket board (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has no doubt wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, currently nursing a double hamstring injury, will be fit for India's four-Test series in Australia beginning next month.

Saha, considered technically the best wicketkeeper in India, injured both the

hamstrings during the Indian Premier League and missed the playoffs in the United Arab Emirates.

Indian team touches base in Sydney, Kohli to get rugby legend's suite during quarantine Indian team touches base in Sydney, Kohli to get rugby legend's suite during quarantine The BCCI last week said it would take a late call on Saha's availability for the tour which begins with the first of six short-

Stroll takes maiden pole to upstage title-chasing Hamilton ISTANBUL AGENCIES

Lance Stroll upstaged Formula One’s titlechasing Lewis Hamilton on Saturday when he grabbed the first pole position of his career at the Turkish Grand Prix, the Canadian saying "it feels really good right now". The 22-year-old Racing Point driver made the most of drying conditions on a treacherous track to end Mercedes’ 13 race domination of qualifying this year.

Stroll delivered a dazzling fastest lap in one minute and 47.765 seconds in the closing seconds to usurp his team-mate Sergio Perez and then resist a last surge from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

The disappointed Dutchman was second, three-tenths behind Stroll, but ahead of Mexican Perez who claimed his careerbest starting position after finishing fourth nine times in the past.

Stroll was the first Canadian to take pole since Jacques Villeneuve at the 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez and it was the Silverstone-based Racing Point team’s first pole since, racing as Jordan, they did

so at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix.

The outcome left Mercedes wellbeaten on the weekend when Lewis Hamilton bids to seal a record-equalling seventh drivers’ championship and draw level with seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.

The six-time champion wound up sixth behind Alex Albon in the second Red Bull and Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo whose team-mate Esteban Ocon qualified seventh. “Yes, Yes, Yes boys,” Stroll screamed on the team radio. "I can't really put it into words," he added.

"I'm shocked. I didn't expect to be up here after FP3.

'FEELS GOOD RIGHT NOW' "There were a lot of things we weren't sure about coming into qualifying. We didn't look that competitive in Q3."

His surprise qualifying performance comes after a difficult few weeks when he had to miss the Eifel Grand Prix, testing positive for coronavirus the next day.

"It has been a pretty rough ride for me so it feels good. Feels really good right now."

Babar really had no business letting it.

THE BIG MISS: It might be harsh to say it, but Karachi did almost nothing special with the ball, and yet found themselves having restricted Multan very efficiently.

That was partially down to some suicidal running by Rossouw, whose importance to Multan had grown exponentially since they lost a couple of early wickets, one to a freak Masood run-out at the non-strikers end.

But Rossouw had no one to blame when he was run out two overs later, setting off blind with no clue where exactly the ball was. Zeeshan Ashraf rightly sent him back, but he was so far down the keeper had time to throw it to the bowler, who was backing up at the striker's end, and whip off the bails with time to spare.

Rossouw has been instrumental to whichever PSL franchise he has been a part of, and when he fell that cheaply, it felt like a big moment. It was.

This is the first time this season that neither Hamilton (nine) nor Bottas (four) have topped qualifying.

Hamilton can seal a record-equalling seventh drivers' world title on Sunday if he prevents Bottas from outscoring him by eight points.

After Friday’s ice rink conditions on the resurfaced circuit, heavy rain ushered in even more treacherous challenges in which most of the drivers slithered and spun. The Q1 session was interrupted twice for red flags, when Race Control declared the track was unsafe – firstly due to the conditions and then, secondly, when Romain Grosjean spun into a gravel trap in his Haas.

The interruptions added 50 minutes to the schedule as daylight receded in the appalling conditions, but the brilliant car control of Verstappen and his Red Bull team-mat Albon was on display as they topped the times, the Dutchman 1.9 seconds clear.

In the drama, Leclerc slithered through to Q2 while Hamilton, his best lap cancelled for exceeding track limits, struggled

through in 14th place.

Grosjean was eliminated along with his Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen, the two Williams of George Russell and Nicholas Latifi and Alpha Tauri’s Daniil Kvyat.

In the severe conditions, the teams were making extreme use of their tyrewarming facilities to ensure drivers could find at least some minimal grip before the rain relented, encouraging some to try intermediates.

In Q2, both Mercedes were clearly struggling to keep any heat in their tyres while Verstappen, oozing confidence, set the pace.

At the flag, the Dutchman was two seconds clear of Albon with Hamilton 2.4 down in third and Bottas seventh while both Ferraris failed to make the cut to the top-ten shootout.

In Q3 Verstappen went four seconds clear of nearest rival Bottas before Perez, on intermediates, re-set expectations by topping the Dutchman and prompting a switch of tyres for everyone else for the final surprising runs.

form internationals on November 27 in Sydney.

"I think people don't know how the BCCI works," Ganguly told The Week magazine, dismissing criticism of the board's handling of players' injuries.

"The BCCI trainers, physio and Wriddhi himself know that he has two hamstring issues." "Wriddhi is travelling to Australia because he will be fit for Tests. He is not part of the shorter formats."

Djokovic says no pressure as he bids for sixth ATP Finals crown AGENCIES Novak Djokovic said sealing the year-end men’s world number one tennis ranking had eased some of the pressure on him as he heads into the ATP Finals and will look to end his season on a high.

The 33-year-old is bidding for a sixth crown in the season-ending tournament to go level with Roger Federer and will take on Argentine Diego Schwartzman in his opener on Monday. “Coming into the tournament knowing I already clinched the year-end number one releases some of the pressure, but at the same time it doesn’t change what I hope to achieve in this tournament and why I’m here,” Djokovic told reporters. “I really want to win every single match that I get to play and try to get my hands on the trophy... I want this trophy as much as anyone here. “I’m really hoping I can end the season in the best possible way and the success I had previously here in the past 10 years helps me feel more comfortable and confident about myself.” Second-ranked Nadal, who meets Russian Andrey Rublev on Sunday, is hoping to clinch his first ATP Finals title on the hard courts of London’s O2 Arena. “I don’t know how close I am to the perfect preparation. I tried to fight hard in every match in Bercy,” Nadal said on Friday of his semi-final run at last week’s Paris Masters.

Sunday, 15 November, 2020

PrAyEr TImINGS

NEWS

NEw US dEfENcE chiEf TEllS TroopS 'TimE To comE homE' WASHINGTON

N

AGENCIES

EWLY appointed Pentagon chief Christopher Miller signaled Saturday that he could accelerate the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the Middle East, saying, "It's time to come home." "All wars must end," Miller, named acting defense secretary by President Donald Trump on Monday, said in his first message to the US armed services.

He said that the US is committed to defeating Al Qaeda, 19 years after the September 11 attacks on the United

States, and is "on the verge of defeating" the group.

"Many are weary of war -- I'm one of them," he wrote in the message, dated Friday but posted early Saturday on the Defense Department's website.

"But this is the critical phase in which we transition our efforts from a leadership to supporting role," he said.

"Ending wars requires compromise and partnership. We met the challenge; we gave it our all. Now, it's time to come home." Miller did not mention specific US troop deployments, but the reference to Al Qaeda appeared to single out Afghanistan and Iraq, where US troops

Afghan forces capture 'mastermind' of Kabul university attack KABUL AGENCIES

Afghan forces have captured the "mastermind" of a brutal attack on Kabul University when militants stormed classrooms and gunned down dozens of students earlier this month, a top official said Saturday.

At least 22 people were killed and another 27 wounded when three gunmen rampaged through the university on November 2, spraying classrooms with bullets for several hours. The brazen daylight assault came amid surging violence across the country that has only worsened in recent months despite the government holding peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar.

"The mastermind behind Kabul University attack has been arrested," Vice President Amrullah Saleh announced on his Facebook page.The attack, which had ended after the three attackers were killed in fighting, was planned by a militant called Adil, Saleh said. Adil was recruited by the Haqqani network, Saleh said giving only one name of the arrested man. "The attack was carried out to pressure, defame and make the government look weak in front of the people," Saleh said. Adil, who had been a student of the Islamic Sharia law, hailed from the province of Panjshir but his family lived on the outskirts of Kabul, he said.

"Adil had been missing for three years amid rumours that he had gone to receive training in war and fighting," Saleh said. During his questioning, Adil revealed that he had received weapons from Haqqani network to carry out the attack, Saleh added. The shadowy Haqqani network, an affiliate of the Taliban, has long been accused of carrying out brutal assaults of Western forces and civilians, and has been branded a terrorist group by Washington.

were deployed after the September 11 attacks. The former US special forces officer and counterterrorism expert was named to lead the Department of Defense after Trump fired Mark Esper.

Trump, who lost to Democrat Joe Biden in the November 3 election, has been pressing to pull US forces out of both countries since he came into office four years ago. Any such action would have to come in the 67 days before Biden takes office on January 20.

Esper cut US forces in Afghanistan by nearly two-thirds in the wake of the February 29 US-Taliban peace deal.

But, drawing a line, he said he

would hold troop numbers at 4,500 after this month until the Taliban, as they negotiate with the government in Kabul, follow through on pledged reductions in violence.

Trump, however, has pushed for continued cuts, tweeting that he wants the troops "home by Christmas," December 25. His national security advisor Robert O'Brien has said the goal is to cut to 2,500 by February.

But critics say this removes any leverage on the Taliban insurgents to halt attacks that continue amid scant progress in their peace talks with the Afghan government.

Armenian villagers burn houses ahead of Azerbaijan takeover CHAREKTAR AGENCIES

Villagers outside of Nagorno-Karabakh set their houses on fire Saturday before fleeing to Armenia ahead of a weekend deadline that will see disputed territory handed over to Azerbaijan as part of a peace agreement.

Residents of the Kalbajar district in Azerbaijan that was controlled by Armenian separatists for decades began a mass exodus this week after it was announced Azerbaijan would regain control on Sunday. Fighting between the separatists backed by Armenian troops and the Azerbaijan army erupted over the Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region in late September and raged for six weeks.

Armenia on Saturday said that 2,317 of it fighters were killed in the clashes, an increase of nearly 1,000 deaths compared to the last confirmed death toll among Armenian fighters. Azerbaijan has not revealed its military casualties and the real toll after weeks of fighting is expected to be much higher. Russian President Vladimir Putin this week said the number of fatalities was higher than 4,000 and that tens of thousands of people had been forced to flee their homes.

In the village of Charektar, on the border with the neighbouring district of Martakert which is to remain under Armenian control, at least six houses were on fire Saturday morning with thick plumes of smoke ris-

ing over the valley, an AFP journalist saw. "This is my house, I can't leave it to the Turks," as Azerbaijanis are often called by Armenians, said one resident as he threw burning wooden planks and rags soaked in gasoline into a completely empty house.

"Everybody is going to burn down their house today... We were given until midnight to leave," he said. "We also moved our parents' graves, the Azerbaijanis will take great pleasure in desecrating our graves.

It's unbearable," he added.

RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS: On Friday at least 10 houses were burned in and around Charektar.

The ex-Soviet rivals agreed to end hostilities earlier this week after previous efforts by Russia, France and the United States to get a ceasefire fell through.

A key part of the peace deal includes Armenia's return of Kalbajar, as well as the Aghdam district by November 20 and the Lachin district by December 1, which have been held by Armenians since a devastating war in the 1990s. The two sides will maintain positions in the territories they currently hold, a significant gain for Azerbaijan after it reclaimed some 15 to 20 percent of lost territory including the key town of Shusha. Russian peacekeepers began deploying to Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday as part of the terms of the accord and took control of a key transport artery connecting Armenia to the disputed province.

Russian military officials said the mission consisting of nearly 2,000 troops would put in place 16 observation posts in mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday accused Armenians of destroying "99pc of the liberated territory" including hospitals, houses and monuments, adding that he wanted Armenia to pay compensation.

Meanwhile in Armenia, anger was mounting over Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's decision to cede swathes of disputed territory.

Thousands of people converged on the streets of Yerevan in demonstrations this week, while protesters stormed and ransacked government buildings, demanding Pashinyan's resignation.

FAJR SUNRISE

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ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

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Two missiles target Ethiopian airports as Tigray conflict widens ADDIS ABABA AGENCIES

Two airports in Ethiopia’s Amhara state which neighbours Tigray where federal troops are fighting local forces were targeted by rocket fire late on Friday, the government said, as an 11-day conflict widened. The airport in Gondar in Amhara state, which neighbours Tigray, was hit on Friday, while another rocket aimed at the Bahir Dar airport missed the target, the government said. The ruling Tigray party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), said the Tigray Defence Forces conducted missile strikes in military bases in Bahir Dar and Gondar in retaliation for air strikes conducted by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s forces in various parts of the state. “As long as the attacks on the people of Tigray do not stop, the attacks will intensify,” Getachew Reda, a spokesperson for the TPLF, said in a statement on the Facebook page of the Tigray state’s communications office. Abiy sent the national defence force on an offensive against local troops in Tigray last week, after accusing them of attacking federal troops. Hundreds of people have been killed. The prime minister has said government warplanes were bombing military targets in Tigray, including arms depots and equipment controlled by the Tigrayan forces. The government says its military operations are aimed at restoring the rule of law in the mountainous state of 5 million people.

One of the rockets hit the airport in Gondar and partially damaged it, said Awoke Worku, spokesperson for Gondar central zone, while a second missile fired simultaneously landed just outside of the airport at Bahir Dar. “The TPLF junta is utilising the last of the weaponry within its arsenals,” the Ethiopian government’s emergency task force wrote on Twitter. The Amhara regional state’s forces have been fighting alongside their federal counterparts against Tigray’s fighters. Yohannes Ayele, a resident of Gondar, said he heard a loud explosion in the Azezo neighbourhood of the city at 10:30pm. Another resident of the area said the rocket had damaged the airport terminal building. The area was sealed off and firefighting vehicles were parked outside, the resident added. An Ethiopian Airlines worker who did not wish to be identified said flights to both Gondar and Bahir Dar airports had been cancelled after the attacks. The United Nations, the African Union and others are concerned that the fighting could spread to other parts of Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country, and destabilise the wider Horn of Africa region. More than 14,500 people have fled into neighbouring Sudan, with the speed of new arrivals “overwhelming the current capacity to provide aid”, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday. Ethiopia’s Human Rights Commission, appointed by the government but independent, said it was sending a team of investigators to the town of Mai Kadra in Tigray, where Amnesty International this week reported what it said was evidence of mass killings. Amnesty International said on Thursday scores and possibly hundreds of civilians were stabbed and hacked to death in the region on Nov. 9, citing witnesses. It said it had not been able to independently confirm who was responsible, but said the witnesses had blamed fighters loyal to Tigray’s local leaders. The Tigray state government denied involvement in the reported killings. “TPLF absolutely refutes allegations the TPLF members and the Tigray special police force were involved in this most tragic event,” it said in a statement. The rights commission said in a statement it would investigate all allegations of human rights violations in the conflict.

Tehran denies report al-Qaeda operative killed in Iran TEHRAN AGENCIES

Iran on Saturday dismissed a US newspaper report that Al-Qaeda's second-in-command was killed in Tehran by Israeli agents as "madeup information" and denied the presence of any of the Sunni jihadist group's members in the Islamic republic.

The New York Times said Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah, indicted in the United States for 1998 bombings of its embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, was secretly shot and killed in Tehran by Israeli operatives on a motorcycle at Washington's behest.

The senior Al-Qaeda leader, whose nom de guerre was Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was killed

along with his daughter, Miriam, the widow of Osama bin Laden's son Hamza, the Times reported Friday, citing intelligence sources.

The attack took place on August 7 on the anniversary of the Africa bombings, according to the paper.

Iran's foes, the United States and Israel, "try to shift the responsiblity for the criminal acts of (AlQaeda) and other terrorist groups in the region and link Iran to such groups with lies and by leaking made-up information to the media", foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement.

Khatibzadeh accused the US itself and "its allies in the region" of having created Al-Qaeda through their "wrong policies" and advised US media to "not fall into the trap

of American and Zionist officials' Hollywood scenarios".

American intelligence officials told the Times that Abdullah had been in Iran’s "custody" since 2003, but he had been living freely in the Pasdaran district of Tehran, an upscale suburb, since at least 2015.

On August 7, he was driving a white Renault L90 sedan with his daughter near his home when two gunmen on a motorbike shot five times at them with a pistol fitted with a silencer, it said.

Iran's state news IRNA and Mehr news agency at the time reported a similar incident and identified the victims as Habib Dawoud, a 58-year-old Lebanese history teacher, and his daughter Maryam, 27, without giving further details.

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